Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance, Revenge
by PrincessSerenity101
Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone is going into a panic. What's happening?
1. The First Act: Chapter 1

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Return

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_A/N: The 'R' stands for three different things. Each chapter will have the word or words in the title that represents the chapter best._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or the title._

The First Act - Chapter One

Usagi was waiting excitedly for Mamoru to arrive with an excited smile. After Galaxia's defeat, he had gone back to America. It's only been one year since then, but it felt like an eternity to Usagi. Her heart leaped with joy when Mamoru said he was coming back in a recent letter. She could barely contain her excitement.

Usagi was snapped out her thoughts when she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist. "You have to learn not to space out, Usako." Usagi turned around with delight. "Mamo-chan!" she squealed. She embraced Mamoru and let tears of joy stream down her face. "Welcome home," she said.

Mamoru smiled as he wiped the tears away. "I missed you so much," Usagi continued to cry. "I know," Mamoru smiled. "I missed you, too."

* * *

"Guys," Rei sighed, "Don't you think we should let Usagi enjoy the day alone with Mamoru-san?" She and the girls were at the jinja putting the finishing touch on the surprise party for Mamoru. Of course, they could have used the Crown Arcade for the surprise party, but Usagi had requested it to be at the jinja.

"You can't convince Usagi to do that now," Ami sighed. "And she'd throw a fit if you tried," Minako added. Makoto agreed as she blew a balloon. "Don't you think we have enough of those, Mako-chan?" Rei asked. "There's not much for me to do anymore," Makoto complained as she tied it. "Do you want me to do something less productive and blow up a glove?" Ami giggled at Makoto's childish behavior. Rei rolled her eyes with annoyance. Makoto only grinned. "Where are the insults, Rei-chan?" she asked. "Saving them for Usagi?" Rei glared at her as Ami cracked a smile and Minako joined in.

"Of course she is," she piped up. "She only teases the ones who are dazzlingly beautiful…"

"Obviously you don't fall into that category," Makoto laughed. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Minako exclaimed. "You were referring to yourself when you said Rei-chan only teases the ones who are 'dazzlingly beautiful,' but Rei doesn't tease you," Makoto explained. Minako pouted at the brunette before turning to Rei. Her eyes become watery as she leaned closer to the miko. The raven-haired girl backed away, afraid of where Minako was going with this.

"Rei, when was the last time you've teased me?" Minako asked. Makoto started laughing and Ami began giggling. Rei shrugged. "How should I know?" she sighed. "I don't really waste my breath when it comes to you and your schemes. Really, what's the point?" Minako bit her lip as Makoto started laughing. Rei had only proved her point.

"But Rei-chan," she cried.

"Why are blondes so into vanity?"

Everyone looked towards the door. It was Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and little Hotaru. "But Haruka-papa," she giggled, "You have blonde hair, too." Then, she noticed the balloons. "Can I have a balloon?" she asked with a smile no one could ignore. Rei nodded and watched the child play with a balloon. "First, it's one subject, then it's another," Haruka sighed. "She has it so easy." Michiru whispered something in Haruka's ear that made her blush. "Looks like Hotaru isn't the only one who has it easy," Minako joked.

Just then footsteps were heard. Aftera few seconds, Rei gave the Ami, Makoto, and Minako the signal, prompting them to count down.

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two…"

"I'm here!" Usagi smiled Michiru raised an eyebrow while Haruka stated, "You girls are weird." Ignoring the two lovers, Rei sighed heavily. "It's about time," Rei sighed. "What took you so long?" "What, I can't spend time with my Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked. "Why do have to be so mean?"

"Because she cares about you," Hotaru piped up as she focused on the balloon not touching the ground. Usagi briefly glanced at Rei and Rei did the same. Minako and Makoto were tempted to laugh. There was only one way to describe this moment. "Awkward!" they exclaimed. They waited for a response from Usagi and Rei, and it was exactly what they wanted. Usagi and Rei both glared at them, but Rei decided to do something extra. She gave them the finger. Minako and Makoto guessed that it was the best Rei could do while a child was in the room. They gave each other high fives, knowing this would probably be the most entertainment they would experience all day.

When Hotaru noticed everyone was staring her, she gained expression that said, 'Am I in trouble?' "What?" she asked. "I heard someone on TV say it when Haruka-papa was watching this weird show with a lot of kissing in it." All eyes turned to Haruka. "I was watching a soap because I had nothing better to do," Haruka nonchalantly. "It's not like I'm the only one who's seen one."

"Right...So anyway, Mamo-chan is in the car," Usagi explained. "Is everything ready?" The three girls nodded. "And the food?" Makoto noticed that glint in Usagi's eyes, knowing where this was going. "Just go get Mamoru-san," she groaned. Usagi pouted as she went down the steps of the jinja. "And let the chaos begin," Rei sighed.

* * *

"There's something not right," Rei muttered as she watched Usagi and Mamoru leave after the party. "What do you mean?" Minako asked. "I'm not quite sure," Rei admitted. "I just have this weird feeling. I feel this evil aura…emanating from Mamoru-san." There was silence. There was confusion in the air. Why would Mamoru have an evil aura?

"Or maybe you're jealous because you want Usagi-chan," Makoto smirked. Rei's eyebrow twitched. "I don't like Usagi that way," she growled.

* * *

After Haruka put Hotaru to bed, she sat next to Michiru in the living room. "Something's not right," she said. "You're right," Michiru nodded. "You were watching a soap? Should I check your temperature?" Haruka glared at her lover. "I was being serious," she stated. "So was I," Michiru grinned. "Look, I think Rei was right," Haruka sighed. "Something was different about Mamoru. When he was at the party, the wind suddenly became violent." Michiru nodded in agreement. "And Hotaru wouldn't go near him at all," she added. "It might be a new enemy, and they already took care of Mamoru," Haruka chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised," Michiru agreed.

"Now that we have that out the way," Haruka smirked, "You promised me something, but I forget what. Can you remind me what it was?" Michiru pressed her lips against Haruka's. She felt the blonde's hands work their magic as they worked their way up her thigh. Haruka began leaving a trail of kisses down her lover's neck. The aqua-haired woman pulled her closer with a grin. They would be there for the rest of the night at this rate.

Suddenly, there were two screams. Setsuna and Hotaru ran out of their rooms with scared expressions. "Haruka-papa, there's a spider in my wall!" she exclaimed. "Haruka, there's a cockroach on the floor!" she screamed. "Get it quick!" the two ordered.

Haruka stared up at them, annoyance clearly marked all over her face. "Must I?" Haruka sighed softly. Setsuna smiled and picked up Hotaru, having a plan of revenge in mind. "Do you want to help Setsuna-mama replace Haruka-papa's mattress?" Setsuna asked. Hotaru nodded. Before Haruka could get up and give in, the two ran to Setsuna's room and quickly went to Haruka's room. They chucked the matress out and went to Setsuna's room. After running out of the room with they mattress, they went back to Haruka's room.

Haruka's jaw dropped, wondering how Setsuna did whatever she had done. All of that should have taken a while for them to. The blonde could have killed whatever they had wanted her to kill in all that time. Michiru began pouting, knowing they would have to sleep on the couch tonight.

* * *

The next day, Rei was just about to leave the jinja to go to school when she felt a sudden rush of energy run through her. She suddenly felt exhausted and dizzy. "What was that all about?" she muttered. She looked around despite her dizziness but found no one. She closed her eyes for a little while, hoping this sudden vertigo would be gone when she opened them again. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and went back inside the jinja to look for her grandfather. He had to feel something evil nearby.

When Rei went inside his room, he was sprawled out on the floor. At first, Rei though he was sleeping, but she noticed something different. He wasn't snoring as he usually was. Putting his body on the bed, she put her ear on his chest. There was no heartbeat. She checked for a pulse. Nothing. Her eyes widened in realization: Her grandfather was dead.

* * *

"Your grandfather's dead?" Usagi gasped. Rei nodded slightly. "Found him dead this morning," she sighed. "I felt this weird rush of energy inside me. I was hoping he knew something was going on."

"How do you know he was dead?" Minako asked. "I checked for a pulse. Nothing," Rei answered quietly. Then there was silence. It was so uncomfortable for the girls. Makoto knew how Rei was feeling and decided to break the silence. "Maybe we should go," she suggested. "I know this is a rough time for you, Rei…" Rei shook her head. "Don't leave," she mumbled. "You're the only family I have left now."

* * *

"That was too easy."

"Did you expect a challenge?"

"Of course not."

"Then what shall we do next?"

"Nothing yet. I want to see how…chaotic it is when I do nothing."

* * *

The girls decided to have a sleepover to comfort Rei. She smiled in reassurance so they shouldn't worry so much, but they saw through her façade. It was obvious to them that she was hurting on the inside no matter how many times she said she was fine.

When the girls fell asleep, Rei went outside. She felt empty and alone. She had never felt this way before except for when her mother died. She remembered the pain she endured, the abandonment she felt. It was carved into her heart. She could never get rid of it; it would follow her everywhere she went. It would only be a matter of time before the girls left her, too. They were special to her. Rei couldn't lose them now.

She was on the brink of tears when she noticed someone had their arms around her waist. It was comforting. It was what she yearned for the most. It was Usagi.

"It's okay, Rei. I'm here and I'll never leave you. Never."

* * *

The girls walked to school with Rei. They didn't want Rei to go to school after the previous day, but the raven-haired girl insisted on going. There was silence between the five and it became unbearable. Thankfully, yet unfortunately, a scream was heard. Instinctly, the girls ran to the source. They found a woman trying to get away from a man dressed in white with a cape. "What the hell?" Makoto gasped. The man turned around and let the woman escape. "It's been awhile, ladies," he said.

"Moonlight Knight?" the five exclaimed. "Aren't you happy to see me?" the Moonlight Knight asked. The girls looked at him with shock. There was no way he could be there. 'He's supposed to be apart of Mamo-chan,' Usagi thought. The Moonlight Knight shrugged with a sigh. " I guess not. Oh well. Let the games begin." He charged for the girls with his dagger. Rei rolled her eyes as she sidestepped him and stuck her foot out. He tripped and fell down.

Makoto, Minako, and Usagi burst into laughter. "What a dumbass," Rei muttered. "Guys, we shouldn't underestimate him," Ami warned. "Not only that, but we're going to be late for school." Before anyone could sigh at her, the Moonlight Knight made a gash in Rei's back with his dagger. Just then, a rose cut his hand, making the dagger fall to the ground. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized as he joined the group. The girls looked from Tuxedo Kamen to the Moonlight Knight. "What the hell is going on?!" Minako shouted. "Sailor Mercury was right, ladies," he said. "You shouldn't underestimate me. Adieu." Then he disappeared. Ami looked at Rei's back. Blood had stained Rei's uniform as blood ran down her back. "You need stitches for this," she mumbled with a frown. "Can't I just lay on my stomach at home and let the wound heal?" Rei sighed. "I'm Sailor Mars, aren't I?"

"C'mon, Rei, I'll call my mother," Ami said. "Try to stay awake." It was too late. Rei hadn't gotten that much sleep the previous night. She leaned on Makoto's back and let her eyes close.

* * *

Rei slowly opened her eyes. She let her eyes adjust to the light and looked around. She had no clue where she was. There were cherry blossoms everywhere. The sudden wind made her shudder slightly. "Where am I?" she asked. "Where do you want to be?" she heard someone ask. A hand was placed on her back. Rei expected pain but there was none. There was no wound.

She turned around and found a woman smiling at her. She had long black hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a white dress that stopped at her knees. She was beautiful, even Rei had to admit that. "Anywhere but here," Rei finally answered. "Why?" the woman asked with slight frown. "I'm lonely here. Can't you keep me company just for a little while?"

Rei was suddenly washed with empathy. 'No one should ever be alone,' she thought sadly. 'No one should go what I went through.' The woman put her arms around Rei's waist and placed her head on her shoulder. "Please stay with me, Rei." Immediately, something hit Rei. She never told the woman here name. "Who are you?" she asked coldly. The woman smirked, "Whoever you want me to be." Rei separated from the woman and prepared herself.

"You see, I've taken great interest in you, Rei-chan," the woman explained. She took Rei by the hand and nuzzled her neck. "You're closer to the princess then the others if you don't count her boy toy," she continued. "What do you want with Usagi?" Rei asked with caution. "What everyone else wanted from her," the woman replied as she nibbled Rei's earlobe. "Just the ginzuishou?" Rei asked.

"Nope."

"Then what?"

"I want to kill her, of course. You're going to do it for me."

* * *

Rei awoke slowly. 'Was that just a dream?' she thought. 'Who was the woman? Why does she want _me_ to kill Usagi? I won't do it. I'm going to protect her.' Then she noticed a hand on hers. She looked to the left and found Usagi asleep. She looked so beautiful as light snores emitted from the blonde. Rei smiled. When would she see Usagi like this again? When would she feel the warmth of Usagi's hand on hers? She savored the moment as she closed her eyes with a small sigh.

Minutes later, the door opened. Rei opened her eyes and saw Ami's mother walk in. Usagi twitched slightly but didn't awake. "Hello, Mizuno-san," Rei greeted as she sat up. "Hello, Rei-san," Mrs. Mizuno smiled. "You will be released tomorrow since you've been asleep all day so far." Rei looked at the clock and noticed it was four in the afternoon. "I guess I was really tired today," she laughed softly. Mrs. Mizuno sighed, "Why do kids insist on staying up so late?" Rei laughed slightly.

Mrs. Mizuno was about to leave the room, but she stopped herself. "Usagi-san came here immediately after school," she said. "She was watching you until she fell asleep." Rei blushed slightly at the thought of Usagi watching in her sleep. "She cares about you, Rei," Mrs. Mizuno concluded. "Don't forget that." Rei nodded and watched the woman leave. She looked to Usagi. She brushed the blonde's bangs out of her face but at the same time had a sudden urge to hurt her. The sight of her strangling the blonde made a smirk appear on her face. Seeing Usagi's sad expression brought her sheer pleasure. Hearing Usagi's cries would be like music to her ears.

Rei pulled her hand back. 'What am I thinking?' she thought. "I'm going to protect you, Usagi," Rei promised. "I will never hurt you."

* * *

The next day, Rei had gathered the girls for a meeting. "A new enemy?" Ami asked. Rei nodded. "I have a feeling this won't be like any other enemy we've faced," she explained. Usagi gulped, "Really?" Rei nodded again but didn't look at her. She had those words stuck in her head.

"_I want to kill her, of course. You're going to do it for me."_

She was scared of a feeling she had. A feeling to kill Usagi. She had to ignore them. She had to keep protecting Usagi.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Minako asked. "Wait until the next attack, I guess," Rei answered. "Speaking of attacks, what about Moonlight Knight?" Makoto asked. "Isn't it weird that he pops up of nowhere?"

"Who cares where he came from," Rei growled. "He's gonna pay for cutting me." Just then, she felt that sudden rush of energy run through her. 'Where is that energy coming from?' she thought. She suddenly felt exhausted and dizzy again. She gripped her head with a groan. "Hey, Rei, you alright?" Usagi asked. Rei turned to Usagi. Her face showed concern. For some reason, Rei wanted to tear it apart. "Rei?" Usagi called. Rei snapped out of her thoughts when Usagi snapped her fingers. "Oh, sorry, Usagi," she sighed.

The girls looked at Rei with concern. It wasn't like Rei to space out like that. Something wasn't right.

* * *

"What do we do now?"

"Wait."

"Why?"

"Everything must be in place for this to work."

"Of course."

"Finally, that little princess will die. It'll be so much fun to watch her being torn apart by the one she loves."

--End Chapter One--

_What is this strange energy Rei is feeling? Why has the enemy chosen her to kill Usagi? Stay tune for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	2. Chapter 2

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Return/Romance

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I don't even own the title for this chapter._

Chapter Two

"_Please, Rei," Sailor Moon mouthed. "Stop this." Rei had straddled her as she gripped the blonde's neck tightly. She had an insane smirk on her face. She was fulfilling her purpose: Making her mistress happy. Killing this girl would do just the trick. If her mistress was happy, she was happy._

_She felt hands gently touch hers. "Rei," Sailor Moon mouthed again. Rei tightened her grip even more. Sailor Moon's eyes began to close as she let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Rei," she mouthed. "I couldn't save you this time. Forgive me."_

_Once there was no sign of breathing, Rei stood to her feet. "Are you happy, my mistress?"_

* * *

_Rei had failed the task brought to her. She had fallen. This wasn't good. Even so, she still had a chance. She didn't need Rei. She was powerful enough on her own. The princess was weak now. She still had a chance. She had to use it wisely._

"_You monster," the princess mumbled. Her eyes were on the fallen soldier. "This is your fault," the princess stated. She held her head up high. There was no sign of forgiveness in her eyes._

_She was frightened. For the first time during this battle, she was frightened. After the long silence, she had finally come to terms that she could not defeat the princess. She mentally laughed at herself. This mere girl had defeated her. She never saw this coming._

"_Silver Moon Crystal…"_

_It was the end. She had nowhere to run._

"_ETERNAL POWER!"_

* * *

_Sailor Moon had to keep dodging the punches. She had to keep avoiding the kicks. She had to try her best to talk some sense into the raven-haired girl. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She was going to go home with her best friend no matter what._

"_Rei, please stop this!" she screamed as she avoided a punch. Rei ignored her as she lunged toward the smaller girl. "I'm your friend, Rei," Sailor Moon continued to explain. "Don't you remember?" Rei finally knocked the heroine to the ground. Sailor Moon got a better look at Rei. Her eyes had lost their innocence. They were empty. The insane smirk she wore was frightening. It didn't belong to Rei at all. Who was this girl?_

"_I've never had any friends," Rei finally said. "I don't know why you hung around me so much. It just got annoying after a while." Sailor Moon couldn't believe her ears. Not even the real Rei could say that to her. She stood to her feet with tears in her eyes._ "_You aren't her," she said. "You aren't my Rei. You are the enemy. My mission is to eliminate all threats to the Earth." Rei smirked, "Just try it, princess."_

"_Silver Moon Crystal Power…"_

"…_Thank you, Usagi," Rei mumbled. Sailor Moon blinked. The old Rei was trying to take control of her body for one last time. Sailor Moon smiled slightly as the tears began to fall._

"_THERAPY KISS!"_

* * *

_Rei smiled a genuine smile. It was a true smile. Sailor Moon knew it wasn't fake. It couldn't be. "Usagi, I'm sorry," she apologized. "Did you get scared?" Sailor Moon nodded as tears began streaming down her face. "It was like I was the only one," she started. "I was so alone…then we saw each other…but now this."_

_Rei embraced her. "Don't worry, Usagi. I said I would always protect you no matter what," she reminded. "I intend to keep that vow." Sailor Moon nodded. She never noticed the dagger appearing from thin air. Rei grabbed it and went in for the kill._

* * *

Setsuna woke up with a start. She couldn't believe what she had seen. Was it a vision? Was it a nightmare? It seemed like both. Rei? Killing Usagi? That couldn't be possible. Rei cared for her princess too much to do such a thing.

Setsuna sighed. She knew what she had to do next. Would she be able to do it? If it was for the princess's safety, then she had no choice.

"What's wrong, Setsuna-mama?" she heard Hotaru ask. She must've woken her up. "Nothing, hime-chan," Setsuna reassured. "Go back to sleep. You don't want to stay up all night, do you?" Hotaru shook her head as she grimaced. She definitely didn't want to stay up all night.

There was never a warning for the escapades of Michiru and Haruka.

* * *

Usagi rolled off her bed with a thud face first. She rubbed her nose gently. "Itai…" she muttered. She looked to Luna. Luckily, she didn't wake her up. Her nose would surely hurt more then it did now if Luna opened even one eye. Usagi sat on her bed with a sigh. She looked out the window and looked at the night sky. There were stars everywhere. It was simply wonderful. She decided to go out. She grabbed her jacket and quickly left the house undetected.

She began running as fast as she could. She didn't care where she was going, although she had a pretty good idea.

'How?' she mentally asked herself. 'How could I have such a dream? I would never hurt her.' Usagi had to repeat her statement again and again. She cared about Rei. She would never do such a thing. She couldn't.

* * *

Rei slowly awoke. She saw everything. The tears. The dagger. The blood. Everything. She decided she simply wouldn't believe it. She could tell it was more than a nightmare but it didn't matter. She would never let a dream like that come between her and Usagi's friendship.

She sighed at the word. "Friendship," she groaned. That's all it would ever be. Usagi had Mamoru. They were in love. They had a destiny to fulfill. Rei sighed in frustration. Fate always found one way to mess things up for her. Then again, fate had always found one way to make her day better. She was lucky enough to have met the blonde. Before, there was nothing but despair. Loneliness ruled her heart and made her as cold as ice. It may have taken a while, but after she met Usagi, she melted under the heat of her friendship. Sure, she teased her a lot but the insults became more playful then cruel. Even Usagi knew that.

Rei couldn't help but think, 'What if she was mine?' That selfish thought always swam through her head. If Usagi was with her…everything would be different. Rei would never leave her. She would keep her happy at all times. She wouldn't break her heart. She would make each day as passionate as the last. The list went on.

Rei envied Mamoru. No matter how many times he broke Usagi's heart, she ran back to him. In her opinion, Mamoru didn't deserve her. If he really loved her, he wouldn't have broken her heart because of some stupid dream. If he really loved her, he wouldn't have gone to America and left her alone.

Rei shook her head. Maybe she was being too harsh. Mamoru had his share of pain when he broke up with the blonde. It was easy to see. He probably didn't want to leave Usagi here and go to America. He knew how much sadness he would cause her.

"Maybe they were made for each other," Rei sighed as she kept back her tears. "Maybe they're supposed to endure this to prove their love." The raven-haired girl shook her head. She wanted Usagi…no, she needed Usagi. Usagi had become her everything.

* * *

"Usako, what are you doing here so late?" Mamoru groaned as he let Usagi in his apartment. "Mamo-chan, I had a…nightmare…" Usagi said as she sat down on the couch. She looked at Mamoru's expression. He looked concerned. "What happened?" he asked as he sat down beside her. Usagi took a deep breath. For some reason, she couldn't find her voice.

"Usako?"

Usagi looked away from the man. "Rei…she and I were fighting," she began. "But it wasn't like our usual arguments. She was trying to…to hurt me…I think she wanted to kill me…I tried to make her remember what we had but she continued to toy with me. I noticed she looked different. She didn't look like our Rei. She was just…different. I had to…to kill her. I didn't want to, Mamo-chan. I really didn't."

Mamoru watched the tears run down his love's cheeks. "It was only a nightmare, Usako," he soothed softly as he embraced her. "Nothing like that will ever come true."

"But it felt so real."

Mamoru shook his head. "It was just a dream, Usako. Nothing like that will ever happen," he reassured. "But what if it does?" Usagi asked softly. She knew he couldn't answer her question. Instead, he replied, "Let's gets some sleep." Usagi shook her head. "I should go," she sighed. "If my family wakes up, they'll wonder where I've gone and send search parties." She stood up and went to the door.

"Wait, Usako," Mamoru called as he followed. "Stay. It's too dangerous to go out at night by yourself." Usagi opened the door with a smile. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she stated as a matter-of-factly. Mamoru closed the door with a sly grin. "I know you can but…" He pulled his love closer to him. "…_I_ want to take care of you. Will you let me?" Usagi began pouting. "Why do you treat me like a kid?" she asked.

"Because I care about you, Usako." Mamoru pressed his lips against Usagi's. The blonde immediately returned the kiss. She felt this warm feeling she had missed. It was inviting. Unfortunately, the kiss ended all too soon. She gazed into Mamoru's eyes with a loving smile.

"I love you, Mamo-chan."

* * *

"What about Saturn? How will she awaken?"

"By forcing her out, of course. I can't hurt a little girl that cute. That's bad for my image."

"Of course."

"Go to her. Saturn will realize there is an enemy near if you do."

"Hai."

* * *

Rei sighed. Setsuna had suddenly arrived at the jinja. She had a serious, dark look. It scared Rei. Something wasn't right.

"Stay away from Usagi."

Rei blinked. Had she heard correctly? "Excuse me?" she asked as she stood to her feet. Setsuna's dark demeanor never faltered. "Stay away from her, Rei. You will only bring calamity."

"But Setsuna-san, I must protect Usagi," Rei explained. "I am apart of the Sailor Senshi. My duty is to protect her…"

"You are right. You must protect Usagi. You must put Usagi above everything else…but you must stay away from her if you don't want the future to be destroyed. Trust me on this, Rei. You'll be protecting her by keeping your distance."

Rei blinked again. She didn't understand. Then she thought back to her dream. Maybe it was a vision. If it was, she had to prevent it. If that meant becoming her old self, then so be it. "I understand, Setsuna-san." Setsuna nodded and left.

Rei sighed again. "As if that dream wasn't enough," she muttered. Soon, she became restless. Her mind was reeling with questions that she couldn't answer. She ran her hand through her hair as she groaned. She wanted this day to be over as soon as possible. The only possible way for her to do that was to run.

* * *

How did this happen? She only had to use the bathroom. That was it. She was just a little girl. How could this happen? She had called 'rape' and 'molestation' and 'pervert' so many times. How did a little girl know these words? When you spend the day with her father and TV, you remember these words quite often. She didn't have to know what they meant; she only had to know them.

She knew what was happening; yet she didn't try to stop it. She had only tried to get her sleeping family's attention. After that, she didn't yell, scream, or kick. She just acted as if she were clueless and let it happen. She heard her parents screaming her name and saw their attacks flying past her and her captor.

Her captor would look at her every now and then. He would say things to make her feel safe despite the dangerous situation. It wasn't long before the reinforcements stopped her captor in his tracks. This whole thing had been fun, but now it was time to end it. She needed her rest, and she was going to get it. Taking this as her opportunity to stop this evil plan gone wrong, she wiggling out his grip and punched him in the groin. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Hotaru, are you okay?" her father asked as she picked her up. She nestled into her arms and yawned. "I'm sleepy."

* * *

The stars were almost gone. The sun was beginning to rise. The cold, brisk air hit Rei's face. It kept her awake. It kept her hydrated but barely. She didn't care where she went. Her mind only told her to keep going. Her body told her otherwise. 'Keep going…keep going…stop running…stop running…'

She noticed a car driving beside her. The window rolled down to reveal an unexpected person. "Rei…"

Rei laughed despite the dryness in her throat, instantly recognizing this person as her 'father,' Senator Takashi Hino. "Well, what do you know? It's Hino-san. How long has it been? Three weeks? Two months? Oh, wait, ten years."

"Rei, please…"

"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" she asked bitterly. "Or did you come with the media?"

"Rei, stop and come in the car," Takashi pleaded. "You look dehydrated. You should have some water…"

She laughed. "It took you ten years to care about me? I applaud you. I honestly thought it would take you longer. Then again, I didn't think you'd care at all."

She noticed her father becoming angry. "Rei, stop being so stubborn…"

"I wonder where I get it from. I never really had a family to be around to figure it out." Takashi sighed. "I found out what happened…to your grandfather."

"Are you gonna use that for the media to raise your image?"

"I'm being serious."

"Of course, you are."

She ran faster. She ran across the street and went back the way she came.

* * *

"Usagi, how could you run off in the middle of the night?" Ikuko exclaimed as she embraced her daughter. "I was only out for a couple of hours," Usagi muttered. "Baka Usagi," Shingo sighed. "You could've been raped." Then he smirked. "But then again who would want to rape you?" Usagi glared at her brother. "I hope you get molested by a male prostitute," she hissed. "Usagi!" Ikuko exclaimed. "Shingo started it," Usagi whined. Shingo stuck his tongue out. "So, Usagi, where were you?" Kenji asked. Usagi immediately stiffened. She couldn't say she was at Mamoru's place without having pandemonium in the house.

"Probably at her boyfriend's place," Shingo smirked. "I heard he's a college student." Usagi slapped her forehead as her father began his rant. "A…a…a boyfriend? A college student?" he shouted. "Usagi!" The blonde threw her brother a 'How did you find out?' look. "You know, you shouldn't talk so loud on the phone," Shingo said. Usagi growled at him, knowing she always kept her voice down when it came to Mamoru. He mus have been eavesdropping on her or something.

Just then, Usagi saw Luna at the stairs. She motioned her to follow her. Usagi excused herself hastily. She followed Luna to her room. She saw her communicator on the bed. Ami's face was on the screen. "Usagi-chan, Rei…she's…" Usagi began looking frantic. "What happened?" she asked. "She…why did she do that…?"

"Ami-chan?"

"Rei's back in the hospital…she was found on the steps of the jinja…she may have collapsed from dehydration…she knows better than to do that," Ami continued to mutter. "Please, Usagi-chan, run…don't do that, please…just get to the hospital as fast as you can."

* * *

Again, Rei woke up to the cherry blossoms and the swift wind. "For a person who wants to kill Usagi, this place doesn't suit you," Rei sighed. She felt arms wrap around her neck and heard giggling. "Please don't giggle."

"So mean," the woman pouted. "What do you want from me besides the obvious?" Rei asked. A trail of kisses were being planted from her jaw line to her collarbone. "You." Rei rolled her eyes. "So I'm just a lust object?"

"Of course not, Rei-chan," the woman smirked. "It'll be a regular relationship." Rei snorted. "If you can magically turn into Usagi, then talk to me about a normal relationship."

"You underestimate me, Rei-chan." Suddenly, the woman before her slowly shapeshifted into Usagi. Odangoes began to form, her hair became blonde, and the woman became slightly shorter. She became…Usagi. "Please Rei-chan," she grinned. "Won't you give us a chance?" Rei shook her head as she backed away. "You can't try to make me fall in love with you like that. Your eyes…they're not full of innocence. They don't have love in them."

'Usagi' reverted to back to her true form. "I'll have you yet, my dear," she vowed.

* * *

Rei slowly opened her eyes to find Usagi staring at her contently. "What's that look for?" she groaned. Suddenly, Usagi slapped her. "What was that for?" Rei asked weakly. She turned back to Usagi only to get slapped again. "Why are you hitting me?"

"Because you deserve it."

Rei turned to Usagi but was slapped again. "Stop it, Usagi," she sighed as she turned to Usagi again. "Do you understand how scared I was when I found out what you did?" Usagi asked as she slapped Rei again. "What you did was stupid. You could've died from dehydration." Rei laughed. "I'm surprised you know such a big word."

"Don't think you can joke your way out of this," Usagi growled. "Why would you do this?" Rei sighed, "No reason." The blonde shook her head. She knew that was a lie. "Tell me the truth."

"Restlessness."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're lying to me?"

"Because you can't trust me anymore."

--End Chapter Two--

_Is this woman just trying to use Rei? Will anyone trust the miko again? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	3. Chapter 3

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Return

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

_Note to Tenkaichi: There are more then three parts to this story. If it were, then it would be pretty hard to summarize what I have in store in three parts :) Please continue to read, though!_

Chapter Three

Rei awoke in her bed a week later. She had been released the previous day. She sat up with a yawn. What she did…felt wonderful. Rei didn't know why. Endangering herself was not something to be happy about…yet…she was happy. It was like she was ready to do it again. Maybe she would die this time. She wouldn't mind.

Then she remembered. Everyone was watching her. Everyone was right behind her. Now, the person she needed…was the person she wanted to get away from.

* * *

_The girls were gathered around her as Hotaru sat at her side. Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Usagi leaned against the wall. "Hino, you'd better have an excuse for this," Makoto growled. "I do, but you won't believe me," Rei sighed. "Rei, we were really worried about you," Minako stated. "I can tell," Rei said. "Please, don't do it again," Ami pleaded. Hotaru nodded in agreement. "If you're gonna run, then bring water, okay?"_

_Rei smiled with a nod. "I'll remember that," she promised. "Rei, what possessed you to run in the middle of the night to the point of dehydration?" Michiru asked. "Yeah, that's my thing," Haruka stated as a matter-of-factly. Michiru glared at her. "…but then I drink water on the way home," Haruka laughed nervously. Then she became serious. "Rei, you should be very ashamed of yourself. You know better then that."_

_Rei closed her eyes and grinned. "Or maybe I'm just plain stupid." Sighs filled the room. "That's what I'm starting to believe," Makoto muttered. "Someone needs to watch over you," Ami stated. Hotaru quickly raised her hand. "I wanna do it, I wanna do it!" she exclaimed. Haruka chuckled softly. "Sorry, hime-chan. Maybe next time," she said. Hotaru frowned as tears welled up in her eyes. "Just let her do it," Setsuna and Michiru pleaded. They knew how bad it was when Hotaru cried. Haruka sighed with a nod._

_Suddenly, the tears in her eyes disappeared and a grin stretched across the girl's face. "Now that Rei has a playmate, who will look after _both_ of them?" Minako asked. "I will," Usagi answered quietly. Rei opened her eyes and looked to Usagi. Her eyes were cast to the floor. The raven-haired girl looked to Setsuna. She was obviously against the decision._

"_Then I guess it's settled," she sighed. She and Rei both knew Usagi wouldn't change her mind._

* * *

"Ohayo, Rei-chan!" Hotaru exclaimed as she entered Rei's room. "Good morning, Hotaru-chan," Rei smiled. "Did Usagi leave for school already?" Hotaru shook her head. "She said she wasn't going today," she explained. "She's outside." She watched as Rei stretched and left the room. She followed silently. Rei saw Usagi sitting on the steps. "Usagi, what are you doing here?" she asked. It sounded colder then intended.

"I'm supposed to be watching you, remember?"

"Everyone's been watching me for the past week," Rei sighed. "Can't I just be myself without anyone breathing down my neck?" Usagi shook her head. "You lost that right." Rei got frustrated. "Just go to school," she said. "You'll be late again at this rate." Usagi shook her head.

Just then, Rei felt energy surge through her. 'Where is this energy coming from?' she mentally asked herself. Hotaru noticed Rei's uneasiness. "Rei-chan, are you alright?" she asked as she held Rei's hand. Usagi gazed at Rei in concern.

Rei slowly turned to Hotaru. "I'm fine," she reassured. The girl smiled brightly. "Good," she said.

* * *

"Saturn didn't awake."

"I am sorry."

"It's rather funny. She didn't see you as a threat."

"I have grown weak through the years."

"I guess being apart the man they call Mamoru does that to an entity."

"Probably. But I'm no longer an entity."

"Anyhow, I'll pay Saturn a little visit soon but first…we have some business to attend to."

"Of course."

* * *

Ami gave a pile of books to Usagi. "This is our homework," she proclaimed. Usagi sweatdropped as Ami handed her a list of the assignments. "Thank you, Ami-chan," she sighed. "Hey, Usagi-chan, the homework is easy," Makoto reassured. "Even you can do it." Ami gave Makoto a questioning look. "I didn't do it in class if that you think," Makoto laughed nervously. "Don't be ashamed," Minako said. "You're not the only one who does homework at such a convenient time."

Ami sighed. Then she saw Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna coming up the steps. "Michiru-mama! Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru exclaimed as she ran up to them. "What? I don't exist?" Haruka asked. As Michiru picked Hotaru up, the girl asked, "Did you hear something?" Michiru shook her head. "Must be the wind."

As the girls giggled at the joke, Makoto and Minako slyly closed in on Rei. "Hey, Rei-chan," Makoto whispered with a grin. "Usagi spent the day with you, ne?" Rei nodded slowly. "Did you confess yet?" Minako asked. Rei balled her hands into fists. "I don't like her that way," she stated through gritted teeth. "That's what you tell us," Minako grinned. "What _don't_ you tell us?" Makoto asked. Before Rei could respond, she heard something faint.

'Help me, Rei …please help me…'

Instantly, she ran from the group. "Rei, where are you going?" Usagi called. "I hope she doesn't get dehydrated," Ami mumbled.

* * *

The sound got louder. 'It hurts! Help me, Rei!' Rei was getting closer. She could feel it. Finally, she saw two figures on the roof of a building. "Damn," she cursed under her breath. Even as Sailor Mars, she couldn't get up there.

"Hey, Rei."

Rei noticed Mamoru's car driving beside her. "After what happened last week, don't you think you should walk or least bring water with you?" Mamoru asked. Rei ignored his question and asked, "Can you get me up there?" She pointed to the building straight ahead. Mamoru gazed at the building and nodded.

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen leaped on to the roof with Mars in his arms. He let her jump out his arms as she looked at the two figures on the opposite end of the roof. "Please, Rei, help me!"

Mars blinked and then cursed under her breath. Tuxedo Kamen looked at her sternly. "Did you reveal your identity?"

"No, I didn't," Mars answered. She sighed with frustration as she cursed under her breath again. "I can't believe I was lured here by _you_." Giggles filled the air. "So you _do_ care about me. How sweet." The figures turned out to be the Moonlight Knight and the woman from Mars' dream.

"Mars, what's going on?" Tuxedo Kamen asked. The woman snapped her fingers and watched the Moonlight Knight attack Tuxedo Kamen. "Why couldn't you be a figment of my imagination?" Mars asked. She felt arms wrap themselves around her neck. "Because darkness is all you know," the woman whispered in her ear. "Darkness is what drives you. Darkness is what you thrive for. I'm here to give you what you want."

"I don't thrive for darkness like you do," Mars corrected. "You don't, do you?" the woman smirked. "Then what do you thrive for? To keep your friends close to you? Or to have your princess all to yourself?"

"Mars, whatever she says, don't listen!" Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed. "If you lost them all, then what would be left?" the woman asked. "You would want to sink in the bottomless pit of despair and let the darkness overwhelm you, ne? Why not except it now?"

"Because," Mars said, "There will always be something that guides me to the light." The woman giggled, "So sophisticated. That's what I love about you the most." The woman nibbled on Mars' earlobe with a smirk. She noticed the arrival of the rest of the senshi.

Mars looked at Sailor Moon's shocked face. She had the feeling to tear it apart. As if she knew exactly what Rei was feeling, the woman whispered, "Go for it, Rei-chan." With that, Mars lunged for Sailor Moon. She grabbed her throat as she jumped of the building. "Is she crazy!?" Venus screamed. "What's gotten into her?" Jupiter growled.

The woman shook her head. "There are easier ways, Rei-chan," she muttered. "Just who are you?" Mercury asked. "No one important, Ami-chan."

* * *

"Mars, we'll both die if you don't stop," Sailor Moon choked. "As long as you die, there isn't a problem," Mars stated. Sailor Moon gave Mars a pleading look as tears welled up in her eyes. "Rei," she whispered as her hand cupped Mars' cheek. Mars blinked at her warm hand as she realized how close to the ground they were. She quickly took Sailor Moon into her arms and landed on a car.

The alarm went off as Mars leaped away from the scene. "Rei," Sailor Moon whispered again. She nestled herself in her protector's arms. "Thank you."

* * *

The remaining senshi were shocked. "Nani?" the woman asked. "I know all of you."

"But how?" Uranus asked. The woman smirked, "I have my ways, Ruka-chan. Besides, you've all seen me before." The senshi blinked. "We have?" they asked in unison. "Sure you have," the woman giggled. "But now I must take my leave." She snapped her fingers and disappeared. The Moonlight Knight disappeared as well.

* * *

Rei held Usagi as they sat on her bed. "I'm sorry, Usagi," Rei apologized softly. "I put you in danger…"

"We all make mistakes, Rei…"

"But this is something that cannot be forgiven. I'm your protector. I tried to…I tried to kill you. I would never do such a thing but…"

"Rei, just shut up," Usagi sighed. Rei blinked at her princess. "Even if you tried to, you still saved me. That counts for something." Usagi gave Rei a peck on the cheek and nuzzled her neck. The raven-haired girl blushed slightly. The touch she had always yearned was finally given to her. A moment where her princess was by her side was what she had always wanted. That wish was finally granted.

Just then, the door opened, causing the girls to jump. "Hino Rei, are you out of your mind!?" Minako yelled. "What the hell were thinking!?" Makoto shouted. "Guys, please calm down," Usagi sighed. "She tried committing suicide and almost took you with her!" Haruka exclaimed. "How are we supposed to calm down!?"

"Why, Rei? Why would try to take her away from us like that?" Mamoru asked with anger, wanting to make Rei pay for what she had done. Rei cast her eyes to the floor with shame. She couldn't bare the intense glares she was receiving. "Please, minna," Usagi said as she stood up. "Even though she almost did what many of you think was impossible, I still care for her because she saved me. Isn't that right, Rei-chan?" Rei looked up and saw Usagi's smiling face.

Before she had a chance to respond, Hotaru ran into the room. "You didn't hurt Usagi-chan, did you?" she asked as she looked up into her eyes. "Everyone's lying, right?" Rei noticed the hope in her eyes. Tears welled up in her own. She didn't bother to try to fight them as she wrapped her arms around Usagi's waist.

"I'm so sorry," she cried as buried her face in Usagi's hip. "I didn't mean to. Please forgive me." The glares the others had given her softened. "It's okay, Rei," Usagi sighed softly as she rubbed the raven-haired girl's back. "I forgive you."

* * *

The sky had become brighter. The sun was slowly rising. The cold, morning air felt good against Rei's skin. She felt like she could run forever, but her body told her otherwise. She took a drink of water as she ran up the steps of the jinja. When she got to the top, she found Usagi pacing back and forth.

"Why are you pacing?" Rei asked as she came to a stop. Usagi glared at her. "Are you crazy!?" she exclaimed. "I was worried about you!" Rei waved a half finished bottle in her face. "I brought water this time," she said simply. Usagi sighed in relief. "You scare me sometimes," she stated. Rei shook her head with a sigh. "I'm gonna take a shower."

She walked off into the jinja with a yawn. "She really doesn't trust me anymore," she mumbled with a smile. After what happened, she had to distance herself from the blonde. After all, she would only bring calamity.

* * *

After convincing Usagi to go to school, Rei began the chores of the day. "Hey, Rei-chan," Hotaru smiled, "Can I help?" Rei smiled back. What kid would want to do chores? "I don't know," Rei finally answered. "You're too small to do most of the chores…" Hotaru began to pout. "No, I'm not," she said. "I'll sweep the ground for you. I can do that."

Rei sighed at the girl's persistence. "Okay, then." Hotaru grabbed the broom and got to work. As she did, someone came up the steps with a bouquet of flowers. Rei looked up and saw her father. "I'll be right back, okay?" she asked Hotaru. The girl nodded.

Rei walked over to Takashi. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Then she got a better look. "You're not wearing a suit…are you okay?" Takashi laughed. "Of course, I am," he said. "I just wanted to give you these." He handed her the flowers. "Casablanca lilies," Rei sighed. Her favorite flowers. "You asked someone what my favorite flowers were again, didn't you?" she asked suspiciously.

"No."

"It's not even my birthday."

"I know that."

Rei blinked at the man before her. Taking this time to actually look at him, she noticed that she hadn't inherited anything from him. Takashi had black hair and dark brown eyes, which would make one wonder how Rei gained raven-colored hair and amethyst eyes. Aside from the cold personality she had, she was like her mother in more ways than one. Once Rei came back to reality, she wondered, 'Is he really trying to make amends with me?'

"Well, Rei," he sighed, "I came here to ask you if you wanted to spend a week with me. Maybe two. I only want to get to know you."

"Don't you have meetings to go to?"

"I think I can miss a few."

That brought a smile to Rei's face. "Maybe," she said. "I have to check my schedule." Her father laughed. "Of course. Call me when you get the chance." Then he left.

"Rei-chan, who was that?" Hotaru asked. Rei turned to her with a smile. "That was my father."

* * *

"What!?" the girls screamed. Usagi nodded. "She just left when I came back from school," she explained. "And she didn't say a word?" Minako asked. Usagi shook her head. "She only left this note." Makoto took it and read it aloud:

_Two weeks. Rei._

The girls were confused. "What was that supposed to mean?" Ami asked. Suddenly, Hotaru entered the room. "I saw Rei talking to a man this morning," she said. "She said he was her father." There was silence for a few moments. The same thing was on the girls' mind. Rei was with her father?

"So Rei went to her father somewhere?" Makoto asked. "For two weeks?" Minako asked. "Do you think maybe…she's trying to get away?" Ami asked slowly. "Get away from what?" Usagi piped. Ami hesitated. "From you?"

* * *

"Haruka-papa, why do you think Rei left?" Hotaru asked from the back seat. "I don't know," Haruka answered. "Maybe she wanted to get away from this whole mess that's been going on lately." Hotaru took this into consideration. Everyone had said Rei had tried to hurt Usagi. "Ami-chan said she might have left because of Usagi-chan," she said. "Do you think that's true, Michiru-mama?" Michiru shrugged. "It might be."

There was suddenly silence throughout the car ride. As soon as the three got home, Hotaru saw a woman walking down the street. They gazed at each other for what felt like an eternity. A smirk spread across the woman's face as she winked at her. Then she continued down the street.

Hotaru felt tired. It was as if her energy had been drained from her body. "What's wrong, hime-chan?" Haruka asked as she picked Hotaru up. The girl nestled into her adoptive father's arms. "I'm sleepy."

* * *

"What are we going to do about Mars?"

"Nothing. Let her have her fun. Now that Saturn has been taken of, all we do now is let the games begin."

* * *

"Hey, let's go to that amusement park," Rei suggested as she looked out the window with a wide grin. She could taste the cotton candy already. Takashi smiled and said, "Let's." It seemed as though Rei was having a nice time with him. There were no complaints, no signs of hatred, nothing. It was all working out for the best.

Rei was loving this, as much as she didn't want to admit. It was way better than going to school. Thank Kami-sama she had been excused for the next two weeks.

* * *

"Because of me?" Usagi asked herself as she looked at the ceiling. "Is Rei upset because of what happened?" She remembered how Rei had cried and apologized so many times. The raven-haired girl had continued to cry and apologize as night fell. "Why did you leave, Rei?" she sighed. "I said it was alright…"

"But she felt guilty."

Usagi sat up to find Mamoru. "What are you doing here, Mamo-chan?" she asked. "I came to stay with you," he answered. "I know you want to wait for Rei here so I want be here with you." Usagi smiled as she embraced him. "Thank you, Mamo-chan."

* * *

Hotaru had been sleeping for hours. Haruka and Michiru grew worried. The small girl took no notice to the sound outside her room as she yawned and pulled her blanket up to her chin for more warmth. She curled into a ball for comfort.

"Hotaru…"

After a few moments, there was light. Hotaru reluctantly sat up and opened her eyes. She was surprised to find a person in a small ball of light. She was wearing a sailor fuku and holding a spear-like weapon. It was Sailor Saturn.

"It's time to awaken…"

Because Hotaru was still tired, she was slightly confused. Wasn't she already awake?

"There is a new evil. It must be annihilated…"

The next thing Hotaru knew, light engulfed the entire room as energy rushed through her.

* * *

Haruka and Michiru began pacing in the kitchen. It was the afternoon and Hotaru still wasn't up. "Something's wrong," Michiru mumbled. "Hotaru isn't up yet," Haruka added. Setsuna only drank her tea silently as she read a novel. Haruka sighed. "I'm going to check on her," she stated. "Don't," Setsuna ordered. "Why not?" Haruka asked. Setsuna stayed silent.

Then a scream filled the house. The weird thing about it was that the scream wasn't as high pitched as usual. Running and continuous screaming was heard. Michiru and Haruka glanced at each other with worry but stayed where they were.

Soon, a girl wearing Haruka's bathrobe ran in the kitchen. It was an older version of Hotaru. "How old am I?" she hyperventilated. "Which age do you want?" Setsuna asked, "The original or the over exaggerated one?" Haruka looked from Michiru to Hotaru. "Does it matter?" Hotaru asked. Setsuna sighed as she placed her bookmark in her novel. She went on her knees so her face was leveled with Hotaru's. She took her by the hands and looked deeply in her eyes.

"Hotaru, by the looks of things…you're officially thirteen, and you will become your father."

Tears built up in Hotaru's eyes as she began her temper tantrum. "I don't want to be thirteen!" she screamed. "I want to stay six! Why does an enemy have to make me thirteen!? Why can't I just enjoy youth? I don't want to become Haruka-papa!" Hotaru ran out the kitchen. "What was that supposed to mean?" Haruka frowned.

Eventually, Michiru had the courage to speak. "What just happened?" she asked. "We just gained a six-year-old daughter with a thirteen-year-old body," Setsuna sighed.

* * *

"What should we do now that Mars is back?"

"Don't worry about that. It's already been taken care of."

"What have you done?"

"Something chaotic."

* * *

Rei sat on her bed with a sigh. It had been so much fun. The cotton candy. The amusement park. The father-daughter time. It was just so fun. She never thought about anything that happened during the previous weeks. For the first time she met Usagi, she never thought of her once. For some reason, it was relieving. If it hadn't been for this vacation, she wouldn't have forgiven herself for what she did to Usagi. But now she was back. She would think of Usagi everyday now. She would ask those "what if" questions and envy Mamoru. What would she do now?

"Do you think Rei-chan's back?" Rei heard Minako ask. "She has to be," Makoto answered. "She said two weeks. Her time is up." Rei could already tell Ami was nodding with agreement. When the door opened, Rei smiled. "Hey, minna." Just like that, the three girls toppled her. "Don't leave without saying good-bye," Minako said. "And tell us that you're leaving before you do it," Ami reminded. "What they said," Makoto agreed.

Usagi stayed in her spot at the door with a dazed look. As the three stood to their feet Rei asked, "What's up with you?" Usagi slowly turned to Rei. Her expression was unreadable until a bright smile stretched across her face. "I have a surprise, you guys!" she cheered. "I knew that couldn't last long," Rei quipped.

Usagi ignored her as she announced…

"Mamo-chan and I made love last night."

--End Chapter Three--

_Will the others watch Rei more closely after her surprising stunt? How will Rei to Usagi's announcement? And will Hotaru really become Haruka? Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	4. Chapter 4

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Four

Makoto, Ami, and Minako looked to each other with shock. The same thing was on their mind. They looked to Rei. She began laughing. "What's so funny?" the four girls asked. Rei shook her head. "It's nothing," she said. "I'm happy for you, Usagi. I really am." Usagi smiled brightly. She never noticed the pain in Rei's eyes. Rei hid them well but not well enough. The others noticed. They became sadder as Rei tried to hide her emotions and play everything off as no big deal. No one should live that way.

Instead of saying something, they only watched as Rei let her heart break into millions of pieces.

* * *

"Remind me why we're going to the jinja," Hotaru huffed as she sat in the back seat of Haruka's car. "Hotaru, calm down," Haruka sighed. "Before you know it, you're gonna love being thirteen." Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Is that what _your_ parents told you?" she mumbled.

"Yup."

Hotaru sighed. "Hotaru, you sound like a thirteen-year-old already," Michiru smiled. Hotaru shuddered. "We can only hope she doesn't turn out like Haruka," Setsuna sighed. "What's that supposed to mean?" Haruka asked as they arrived at the jinja. "Don't worry, Setsuna-mama, I'll try," Hotaru laughed.

The four got out the car and went up the steps of the jinja. The three continued to tease Haruka until the got to the top. They found Rei on the roof. It seemed that she was watching the sun set. Haruka was about to call Rei down, but Hotaru shook her head. Haruka sighed.

"Hey, guys," they heard someone call. It was Makoto, Minako, and Ami. "What's up with Rei?" Haruka asked. "Well, Rei went somewhere with her father two weeks ago," Minako began. "She came back today and we decided to see if she was here." Ami continued, "All of us greeted her with hugs except Usagi. She looked out of it. Turns out she was happy about…" She trailed off. Makoto sighed, "She did it with Mamoru."

Haruka gasped. "She did the forbidden with Mamoru!?"

"Ew!" Hotaru grimaced, having an idea of what they were talking about. "Rei must have been heartbroken," Michiru said. "She laughed it off and said she was happy for Usagi," Ami explained. "Usagi, being as dense as she is, thought Rei was really happy for her," Makoto sighed with a shake of the head.

"And that's what makes Rei an excellent target for the enemy."

Everyone turned to Setsuna. "The enemy is using Rei's emotions against her," she explained. "She always tries to hide them. That is her weakness." Ami nodded slowly in agreement. "You're right. The sudden death of Rei's grandfather made her feel alone. She even said we were the only family she had left." Makoto and Minako nodded in agreement.

"So what do you think we should do about Rei?" Hotaru asked. Setsuna shook her head. "There's nothing we _can_ do. Keeping her emotions under control is something only Rei can do." Then, Minako noticed something different. "How did you get so tall so fast?" she asked as she noticed Hotaru's height. The girl rolled her eyes with annoyance, and said, "Don't make me relive that."

* * *

Rei ran down the street. She ran around the corner. She didn't care where she went. She needed to get away. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't take it anymore. The pain she was feeling was unbearable. There was nothing she could do to lessen it. Thinking of that girl…thinking of Usagi would only make things worse.

She slowed down and eventually came to a stop. She leaned against a building. She was panting uncontrollably as she saw two people laughing and whispering to each other. Rei wondered why someone would be out so late. They were very close. It looked as though they were about to kiss. Rei went closer despite the burning feeling in her legs.

She couldn't believe her eyes. It was a woman being seduced by Mamoru.

* * *

The swift wind and cherry blossoms returned. Rei sighed at the same scenery. She felt arms wrap themselves around her neck. It was her again. "What's wrong, Rei-chan?" the woman asked. "You look distracted."

"Go away," Rei sighed with irritation. "But why?" the woman asked as she jumped in front of Rei. "I want to cheer you up."

"Then leave."

"C'mon, Rei-chan, what's wrong? Was it your princess?"

Rei tried to block Usagi out of her mind. She had to. She couldn't give into the enemy. "Did she hurt you?" the woman asked with a smirk. She leaned closer. "Where does it hurt?" Rei didn't move. She couldn't. "What did you do to me?" she asked. "Does it hurt here?" the woman asked as she let her hand travel to Rei's shoulder. "What did you do to me?" the raven-haired girl repeated with impatience. "Does it hurt here?" Rei felt the other hand travel to her waist.

Suddenly, another surge of energy rushed through her body. "What the...?" Rei muttered. Was was going on with her body? The woman giggled. "Does it hurt here?" Before Rei knew it, she felt lips against hers.

She enjoyed it.

* * *

Rei sighed as she sat on her bed. She had gone to school for the first time in weeks. She had so much to do in so little time. She could handle it, though. She managed to do many things in such a limited amount of time…but that kiss…she couldn't get that image out of her mind. It felt so real. It felt as though that woman had really kissed her. The worst thing about it was that she enjoyed her very first kiss, but it wasn't with the one she wanted to enjoy it with. Things were getting out of control.

Just then, the door opened. It was Makoto. She was panting for some reason. "What is it, Mako-chan?"

"Mamoru…Usagi…other woman!" she exclaimed. Rei raised her eyebrow with confusion. "Try using sentences, Mako-chan," she said. "Mamoru was with another woman, Rei!" Makoto yelled. "He's cheating on Usagi!"

"I know," she responded simply. Makoto looked at her in disbelief. "You knew?" Rei nodded. "Then why didn't you tell anyone? And why are you so calm?"

"I didn't tell anyone because I knew no one would believe me."

There was silence between the two after that. Makoto sighed when she realized Rei was going to answer the other question.

"And you're calm because...?"

"I'm calm because Usagi didn't notice I had feelings for her. Since she didn't, why should my life be a tragedy because of her?"

Makoto wanted to smile and tease Rei about her confession, but she couldn't. Not when her friend was hurting so much. Then Rei stood up. "Is there something wrong?" Makoto asked. Rei shook her head. "No," she replied. "I'll see you later." Then Rei ran off.

* * *

Rei stopped running when she found what she was looking for. She found the Outers. Uranus was fighting Moonlight Knight as Saturn tried to fight the woman. "You bitch!" she screamed. "You're the one who made me thirteen! Why won't you just let me enjoy youth?" She swung her Silence Glaive at her opponent who dodged it with ease.

"What the hell is going on?" Rei sighed. "And how the hell did Hotaru get so tall?" The woman caught sight of her and went to her side. "Rei-chan!" She almost tackled Rei as she went in for a kiss. Rei turned away, causing her to kiss her cheek. "Get off me," she growled. "Is my Rei-chan mad at me?" the woman asked innocently.

"Hey, get your ass back here!" Saturn screamed. "I'll be right back," the woman promised as she winked at Rei. The woman took the Silence Glaive away for Saturn as she stared intently at her. "Give that back!" she whined as she reached for it. The woman continued to stare at the girl intently as she raised the Silence Glaive out of her reach. "For a thirteen-year-old," she smirked, "Your still kind of cute."

Saturn stopped reaching for the Silence Glaive and looked at the woman from head to toe. She stopped at her breasts with a smirk. "And you, my friend, are drop dead sexy." The woman laughed. "Up here, hun." Saturn turned to Uranus with a happy grin. "Hear that, Haruka-papa? She called me 'hun!' I think I can get to second base…" Neptune pulled Saturn away from the woman by the ear with a sigh. "As if one Haruka wasn't enough," she muttered. "I think it would be a bit too early for that, little one." Pluto sweatdropped. Uranus took a moment to look at the younger senshi. "She's becoming more like me everyday," she sighed happily. "Now I see why she didn't want to be thirteen," Rei muttered.

The woman snapped her fingers, signaling the Moonlight Knight to stop attacking. "I'm sorry to leave you so soon, Rei-chan," she sighed as she went to her side. "I'm irritated by the fact that you didn't leave earlier," Rei sighed. "So cruel," the woman pouted. "I still love you, though." She kissed Rei as she wrapped her arms around Rei's neck. Rei made no signs of protest.

Uranus' jaw dropped. "How'd she get so lucky so fast?!" she exclaimed. Neptune paid no attention to her partner's comment as her jaw dropped as well. Saturn growled as she balled her hands into fists. Pluto glared at the two before her. She knew what was happening.

The woman pulled away with a grin. "The darkness," she whispered. "You're accepting it. You will thrive for more. Come to me when that happens." The woman disappeared with a wink.

"Hey, Rei!" Saturn called. Rei arched an eyebrow with confusion at her sudden outburst. "She's mine. Got that?"

"Don't worry, you can have her," Rei muttered. Saturn suddenly became angry. "So you're saying she's not worthy enough to be fought over!?" she exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind!?"

Moonlight Knight sighed, "C'mon, Saturn, let's go." Reluctantly, Saturn disappeared with the Moonlight Knight close behind.

* * *

"Mako-chan, guess what I saw today?"

"What?"

"I saw Mamoru with another girl!"

"So did I. I can't believe he would do something like this behind Usagi's back."

"And after what they did the other night, I can't believe it either."

"Do you think we should tell Usagi?"

"No. She would be upset with us and then go to Mamoru and ask him herself when he'll obviously say he wasn't with someone else."

"You're right."

"Does Ami know about this?"

"No, but Rei does."

"How'd she take it?"

"She was surprisingly calm. She did confess her feelings for Usagi, though."

"Finally."

"I'll find Ami and tell her. She should have a plan to make Usagi realize what Mamoru is doing to her."

"There you go again, relying on Ami for everything…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"You think I like her, don't you?"

"…I never said that…"

"Well, you're right, Minako-chan. I do."

* * *

"Rei, what just happened?" Michiru asked. "She kissed the enemy, that's what!" Haruka shouted. "But why?" Michiru asked again. Rei remained silent as she thought about what the woman had said.

"…_You're accepting it. You will thrive for more…"_

Was she really accepting the darkness? Was she really willing to give into the enemy? What was going on?

"Rei?"

Rei snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Michiru was still waiting for her answer. "She's doing something to me," Rei answered quietly. "It's like she's manipulating me or something…"

"That's exactly why you must leave now."

The three turned to Setsuna. "You will only continue letting the enemy have their way with you. If that happens, Usagi will surely die by your hands." Rei shook her head. "It wouldn't matter," she started. "If I left, she would follow me. If I left, she would bring me back here and do her dirty work. Either way you look at it, it wouldn't make a difference whether if I left or not."

* * *

Ami was walking down the street from the library with books in hand. Minako had told her that there was an emergency meeting that would take place at the jinja. She had left the library earlier then intended but still managed to get the books she needed.

She was snapped out her thoughts when she bumped into someone. Her books were scattered all over the sidewalk as she fell with a thud. "I'm sorry, Ami-san," a familiar voice apologized. Ami looked up and found Mamoru. He helped her up and gathered her books. "No, it's my fault," she said. "I wasn't paying attention."

Mamoru returned her books with a sigh. He brushed her bangs out of her face. "You're a very beautiful girl," he whispered. Ami blushed profusely. "Why don't we go to my place?" he asked. "We can have some fun while you're there." Ami backed away. "Mamoru-san, don't you think that's inappropriate? What would Usagi think about you asking me such a question?"

Mamoru leaned closer to her. "Who cares about what Usagi thinks?" he asked.

"Mamoru, get away from her."

Mamoru turned around with an amused grin. "Or what, Makoto-san? You'll shock me to death?"

"That can be arranged."

Mamoru put his hands up in surrender. "Have it your way." Then he left. "What was that all about?" Ami asked. "That's exactly why we scheduled a meeting today," Makoto replied as she took the shorter girl by the hand. "C'mon, let's go."

Ami didn't move from her spot, earning a curious glance from Makoto. "What is it?" Ami looked down slightly as she blushed. "Thank you," she said in a timid tone. Makoto smiled at her. "You know I'd do anything to protect you," she reminded as she cupped Ami's cheek. Ami looked up with a smile. She slowly closed her eyes as Makoto's lips met with hers.

* * *

"So why are you all gathered in my room?" Rei asked. Minako sighed at Rei's irritated expression. "To discuss the 'Mamoru crisis!'" she exclaimed. "Okay then. Let me rephrase my question," Rei sighed. "Why the hell are you all gathered in my room when you can easily go someplace else?!" Minako cringed at the raven-haired girl's outburst. "Calm down, Rei-chan," Makoto said. "Don't get angry at Ami and I when this was all Minako's idea."

"That's all the more reason to get angry at _all_ of you! You know better then to listen to Minako!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Minako yelled. "Use your brain and figure it out if you have enough brain cells!" Rei argued. "Guys, please," Ami interjected. The room finally became quiet. "Can we just get to the point?"

"Well, I was walking home from the Crown Arcade," Minako started. "I was minding my business when I saw Mamoru. I was going to say hi, but then I noticed he was with this girl that wasn't Usagi."

"I was going grocery shopping when I saw Mamoru with a girl that wasn't Usagi," Makoto explained.

"And being the hard-headed idiot I am, I went running in the middle of the night without any water _again_ and found Mamoru with another girl," Rei sighed. The three opened their mouth to scold her when the door opened. The three looked behind them to find Usagi with tears in her eyes.

"Why? Why would you say bad things like that?" she asked. "Mamo-chan would never do such a thing to me." Rei closed her eyes with a shrug. "We saw what we saw. If you don't believe us, then you can just go off to Mamoru and tell him about what we said so he can tell you what you want to hear."

Tears fell down Usagi's face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The four were supposed to be her friends. She had to admit it, though. If she went to Mamoru, he would tell her exactly what she wanted to hear. She didn't know which side to choose.

She backed away and then broke out into a run. She decided to choose neither.

* * *

"Will this plan really work?"

"Of course it will."

"But we failed…"

"That was only one. We have many more to go."

"Never doubt our queen."

"I'll remember that."

* * *

Hours had passed since Usagi had run from the jinja. She never went home. She was afraid to go to sleep nowadays. Those dreams of killing Rei still plagued her. There wasn't a moment where she didn't remember the scene that took place. It scared her.

Now, her own friends were talking about Mamoru behind her back. He wouldn't cheat on her, would he? After expressing their love…he couldn't do such a thing. He had even said he had eyes for no other…yet words meant nothing. Maybe the girls were right. Maybe Mamoru was cheating on her. Then again, they could've been wrong. They just had to be. Especially Rei.

It looked as though she didn't care if Mamoru cheated on her or not. This wasn't the Rei she knew. She wondered what caused the sudden change. Was it because of the news she sprung on the girls the previous day? Was she angry with her for some reason? Why?

--End Chapter Four--

_Will Usagi choose Mamoru or the girls? Will the girls find out about Makoto and Ami? Is Rei accepting the darkness? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	5. Chapter 5

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Return/Romance

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I don't even own the title for this chapter._

Chapter Five

Usagi sat on her bed and looked out the window. It had been days since she talked to anyone. After school, she went straight to her room and never left. She was no longer her energetic, talkative, and hungry self. It had even Luna worried. Usagi couldn't believe what the girls had said. She couldn't face them _or_ Mamoru for that matter.

"Usagi-chan?" Luna said timidly. Usagi didn't acknowledge the cat. "Is there something wrong?"

Usagi never answered as recent events played through her mind. "You can tell me anything, ne, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked as she sat in her lap. There was still no movement from Usagi. Luna frowned. She had never seen Usagi so down like this.

Suddenly, the blonde scratched Luna behind the ears. "I don't know who to believe this time, Luna," she whispered. Luna smiled. They were getting somewhere. "If I believe the girls, Mamo-chan will be mad. If I believe Mamo-chan, the girls will be disappointed. Especially Rei," Usagi explained. Even though she didn't know what was happening, Luna knew one thing for sure. "Listen to your heart, Usagi-chan. Even if the outcome isn't what you want it to be, you'll know it was the right thing to do."

A smile began to form until the phone rang. Usagi groaned. All the girls had called at least twice everyday. Mamoru and Rei just never called at all. Usagi frowned. 'Maybe the girls were right,' she thought. Shingo opened her door with the phone in hand. "It's your boyfriend," he said bluntly. "I don't care," Usagi sighed. Shingo and Luna blinked at the blonde. Luna never thought that Usagi would turn down the chance of talking to Mamoru. Shingo, on the other hand, never heard her talk in days.

"A-are you sure?" Shingo asked. Usagi nodded. Shingo glanced at his sister once more before closing the door. Usagi closed her eyes and let out a breath. 'I hope that was the right thing to do.'

* * *

"It's your fault," Mamoru fumed at the girls. "Usagi won't speak to me anymore and it's all your fault." Rei glared at the man. "How do you know that we did anything?" she asked him. "Why would you accuse us of something that we probably didn't do?" Minako nodded in agreement. "We _did_ see you with those other girls," she added.

The others sighed. "The plan was_ not_ to mention that we saw him, Minako-chan," Makoto sweatdropped. "Whoops," Minako laughed nervously. Mamoru nodded slowly. "So that's what this is about," he sighed. "You make it seem like you don't care about Usagi's feelings at all," Ami stated. Mamoru shrugged. "That's what I said before, wasn't it?" Then a smirk spread across his face as he brushed Ami's bangs out of her face, just like last time. "If you want, you can still come over to my place. I can find something fun for us to do."

Immediately, Makoto punched Mamoru in the jaw. "Never touch her again," she hissed. Mamoru rubbed his jaw. "Have it your way," he shrugged as he turned around and left the jinja. Makoto turned around to find Ami's gaze to the ground. "Thank you," she thanked as a faint blush spread across her face. Makoto shook her head with a smile as she made Ami look at her. "You know I'd do anything to protect you," she whispered. The same smile from the last couple of days returned as she closed her eyes slowly and let Makoto take care of the rest.

Minako's jaw dropped while Rei's eyes widened with surprise. There was going to be a lot to talk about.

* * *

Usagi walked up the steps of the jinja. She had thought it over and decided to apologize to her friends for being so irrational. This didn't mean she was taking their side.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she heard Minako scream. "You thought you could hide it from me, huh? I am the Goddess of Love and Beauty!"

"We got that much," Rei muttered.

"Shut up, Rei." Usagi could hear Minako clear her throat. "As I was saying, I am the Goddess of Love and Beauty! The stench of love and desire…it clings to you like a second skin. You were giving off Francophones like a witch in cleats!"

"Don't you mean giving off pheromones like a bitch in heat?" Ami asked. "DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Minako yelled. "Just let her continue her rant, love," Makoto sighed.

Immediately, Usagi ran into the room. "Makoto and Ami are together?!" she screamed as she saw Ami sitting beside Makoto. The brunette's arm was around the smaller girl's waist. They were _very_ close. "Usagi-chan!" Minako squealed as she jumped her princess. Usagi lost her balance and fell. "Does this mean you'll talk to us again?" Minako asked with a glint of hope in her eyes. "Yes," Usagi sighed. The other blonde jumped to her feet with glee. "I feel a 'but' coming on," Makoto murmured.

"But…" Usagi continued as she stood up. Minako suddenly frown as she braced herself for the bad news. "…I still won't believe what you said about Mamo-chan," Usagi finished. "I can't find it in my heart to believe that he would do such a thing." The others stayed silent as moments passed. Minako decided to break the silence with a smile. "At least we're still friends, ne?" she asked. "We wouldn't want our friendship to end like this, don't you agree?"

Ami and Makoto nodded. "Rei?" Rei grunted with a shrug in response. "See?" Minako smiled. "So let's just forget about it for now and have some fun!" Makoto and Ami nodded with a smile while Rei groaned.

* * *

"Can we hurry this up?"

"What's the rush?"

"We're wasting time just sitting here doing nothing."

"No, we're not. Just sit back and watch the chaos, right, my mistress?"

"Of course. Ya know, watching other people's problems is fun."

"It's like watching soap operas!"

"Women…"

* * *

"Setsuna, what are we supposed to do now?" Haruka asked. "Hotaru is probably not coming back and then there's the whole Rei situation." Setsuna rubbed her temples. "I don't know, Haruka," she groaned. "But you're supposed to know everything," Michiru said. Haruka nodded rapidly in agreement. "I know as much you two do…"

"But more!" Haruka interjected. Setsuna sighed, "You're right. I know more then you…but you're still wrong. I know everything about the past; everything dating back to when each of you were born."

"Damn, she's that old?" Haruka whispered. Setsuna threw the novel that was on the table at Haruka's head. "I heard that," she hissed. Haruka rubbed her head as Michiru giggled. "As I was saying," Setsuna sighed, "I know everything about the past. I know everything about the future; everything from Chibi-Usa's growing maturity to Rei's undying love for Neo Queen Serenity." Setsuna paused for a moment. "…As for the present…I know as much as you do," she finished. "I learn one thing at a time as I continue to live. That is why I cannot answer your question. Understand?"

Haruka nodded. "And once you think about it," Michiru began, "If you _did_ know everything, we would've been able to figure out that Usagi really _was_ the Messiah before we went searching for what we thought was the _true_ Messiah." Haruka nodded again. "And we'd know how to defeat this new enemy of ours." Setsuna sighed again. "If you figured that out, then why don't you think about your questions before running to me?

"Because you're the elder, Setsuna," Haruka answered. "You know everything." Setsuna groaned with disdain as she banged her head on the table.

* * *

"Hey, Usagi-chan," Minako smiled, "Can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Usagi nodded as she got up. "Hey, Mako-chan, let's see if the cookies are done," Rei suggested as she dragged Makoto out of the room. "But I just put them in the oven," Makoto reminded softly. Minako rolled her eyes at Rei. She and Usagi left Ami alone in Rei's room. "That was odd," she muttered to herself.

Once Minako and Usagi were outside, Minako covered her friend's eyes. "Minako, what are you doing?" she asked. "I want to show you something, but it's a surprise." Usagi frowned. "No, it's not," she said. She knew something was going on. Minako made her walk forward. Near a bush, Minako picked up rope that was just lying there. She tied Usagi hastily with a smirk.

"Minako!" Usagi exclaimed. Minako found more rope in the bush. She put Usagi against the tree and tied her up. "What's this all about!?" Usagi screamed. "Oh, nothing," Minako smirked. "Rei and I just wanted to get this out the way, so we came up with this plan. Now, here's a cookie." She put a cookie in the other blonde's mouth. "I always bring extras."

Usagi gave into her weakness and began to eat the cookie. Minako went back to Rei's room and sat beside Ami. Her expression suddenly became serious. "You know that you can't put Makoto above your duty, right?" she asked. Ami blinked at Minako's sudden question and finally hung her head. "I know," she said.

"I don't mean to make you feel bad for loving Makoto," Minako quickly added, "I just…" Ami put on a smile as she lifted her head. "Don't worry, Minako-chan," she said. "I know that it seems like we always put each other above everything else, but we know better." Ami laughed slightly. "Sometimes, I wish that I wasn't never apart of the Sailor Senshi," she confessed. "I wish that Makoto and I met under different circumstances. That way, we could put each other above everything else and not have to think of the consequences that would have followed. I know it's selfish of me to think that but…"

Minako put an arm around Ami. "No one's perfect, Ami," she reminded the girl. "You feeling that way is normal. I probably would have said the same thing if you asked me that question." Ami hugged Minako. "Thank you for understanding, Minako."

* * *

"You do realize that you can't put Ami above your duty, right?" Rei asked Makoto. The brunette nodded with sigh. "Why do you ask?" she asked back. "You already know why," Rei said. Makoto laughed. "You're right. I do know why." She leaned against the wall. "You know I'd do anything to protect you," she said to herself as she closed her eyes. She remembered Ami's smile and the kiss they shared vividly.

"I think you're getting ahead yourself," Rei spoke. "If you keep it up, you may forget about your duty." Makoto opened her eyes slowly. "Here's what I think about that," she said with a small smile. "I put my life on the line for Usagi everyday because I'm one of her protectors; protecting her is what I was born to do…but there is one person who needs me the most. There is one person who wants me devote my attention to them. That person is Ami. Making sense so far?"

Rei nodded.

"Good. At the end of the day, when we're done being protectors of our princess, my duty is to make Ami as happy as possible and to protect her until the day we die and our souls can't find their way back to each other."

Rei smiled slightly. "You really love Ami, huh?" she asked. "Hai, I do," Makoto answered.

* * *

Mamoru opened the door to find Usagi. He smiled and let her in. However, she refused. "I don't plan on being here for long," she said. Mamoru frowned. "What's wrong, Usako?" he asked. "Did I upset you?" Usagi looked down to the floor momentarily but looked up. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"The girls have been telling me that you've been with other women. Is that true?"

Mamoru blinked with surprise. "Of course not. Why would the girls say something like that?" he asked. Usagi gave him a dark look. "I'm not the naïve girl I used to be," she stated. "If you're lying to me…" She trailed off as she sighed. "Mamo-chan, I love you, but if you ruin what we have by lying to me…"

Mamoru silenced her and embraced her. "I would never lie to you," he whispered.

"Yes, he would! He just lied about not lying!"

"Thanks for blowing our covering, Minako."

"Guys, let's just go."

Usagi pulled away from Mamoru and looked at the eavesdroppers. Minako laughed nervously as Makoto shook her head and Ami lowered her head muttering something incoherently. Rei glared at Usagi as tears welled up in her eyes. She immediately turned away and left.

* * *

Rei looked up at the sky. The sky was becoming darker as stars began shine. She kept back the tears that she had tried to hide from Usagi. The words continued to run themselves in her mind.

"_Mamo-chan, I love you…"_

'Her heart belongs to him,' she thought with a sigh. She had finally accepted that fact. Usagi would never look at her the way she looked at Mamoru. She would never be able to show Usagi her love. That moment would only remain a wish that would never be granted.

Suddenly, Rei felt arms wrap themselves around her waist. "Rei-chan, what's wrong?"

Rei snapped back to reality as she found herself being held by the woman. Rei pushed her away. "Rei-chan, was it your princess? Did she hurt you?"

Rei remained silent. She knew she couldn't show her weakness, but she felt that it was impossible hide it at this point. She was turned around. She looked into the blue eyes before her. She couldn't look away, even if she tried. For some reason, those eyes offered comfort. They offered to ease some of the pain, even if it were for a little while.

"Yes," she blurted out. She took the woman's hand and put it on her chest; it was right above her heart. "Here," she whispered. She immediately pressed her lips against the woman's. Gasps filled the air. "Isn't that the woman who was the roof that time!?" Minako asked. Makoto nodded. "Isn't she our enemy?" Ami asked. Makoto nodded again. Usagi remained silent as she backed away from the group. Eventually, she ran away.

As the woman pulled away from Rei she asked, "Are you accepting the darkness?"

"You were right. All I really know is darkness…"

"_Rei…your mother died of a broken heart."_

"Darkness is what drives me…"

"_What you did was stupid. You could've died…"_

"I may thrive for darkness eventually…"

"_Mamo-chan, I love you…"_

"Even so, I will find the light and let it guide me to where I need to be."

The woman smirked. "Just let the darkness overwhelm you. It will only be a matter of time." Then she disappeared. Rei sighed as she turned around to leave. "Rei, what was that all about?" Minako asked as she jumped in front of the raven-haired girl. "Nothing," she muttered. "What about Usagi?" Makoto asked. "Aren't you in love with her?"

A few minutes passed when Rei finally answered, "My life isn't as simple as you think, Makoto." She turned around and glared at the brunette. "The girl I love is playing a sex game with a cheating bastard who doesn't give a damn about her at all while our enemy is trying to make me kill her by manipulating me! Does that sound simple to you!? Would you like to know how it feels to be the one stuck in the middle as people are yelling at you for something you never meant to do!?" she screamed.

Makoto looked away, unable to answer. "I didn't think so." Rei walked away from the girls. None of them noticed Ami was missing.

* * *

Ami and Usagi ran out of breath as they finally came to a stop. They didn't know how far they were from the group. It had taken a while to convince Usagi to stop. "Usagi-chan, why did you run away?" Ami asked. "That was _her_!" Usagi exclaimed. "It was that woman from before! She's the enemy, right!?" Ami sighed. "It was, but you didn't answer my question," she said. "Why did you run away?" Usagi stayed silent. It was as if she didn't know the answer herself. "Usagi-chan, who do you love the most? Rei or Mamoru?" Usagi blinked. "Who do I love….the most?"

Ami nodded.

"I can't choose between them," Usagi murmured. "I love Mamo-chan with all my heart, but I love Rei the same way because she's my friend." Ami shook her head. "I'm sorry for being so harsh, but if you don't figure out the answer, both Rei and Mamoru will suffer from your indecisiveness instead of just one of them. When know who you love the most, only then will you figure out why you ran away."

Usagi hung her head. Ami was right. Why did she run away? Was there really a reason? Was it because she was…

* * *

Rei continued to punch the wall as tears streamed down her face. She cursed at the top of her lungs. No one could understand her. No one could understand what she was going through. They assumed it was all just simple. Why couldn't they realize that life didn't work that way?

"I HATE THEM!" Rei screamed as she sank to her knees. "I HATE THEM ALL!" Her hands were numb. She couldn't feel any pain in them. She hiccupped every now and then. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

Eventually, her breathing became steady as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "They don't get it," she continued softly. "None of them do." She felt someone embrace her, but did not react. She let the person rock her back and forth as if she were a child. She continued to look at the floor and shook her head.

"I hate you all."

"As your family, we love you."

Rei blinked. Had she really forgotten that very important detail? The reason she had decided to hold on was because of them, wasn't it? "Family…" she said softly. She looked up and saw Makoto and Ami. Minako was the one rocking her. Usagi wasn't there.

She closed her eyes to let sleep overwhelm her. "I'm still here because of my family," she said. There was just one thing wrong. "But I'll disappear anyway."

* * *

Haruka stared at the girls in disbelief. "Rei left again, but for _four weeks_?!" she exclaimed. "That's what the note must've meant," Ami answered. "When she left last time, all it said was two weeks and she was gone for two weeks." Makoto and Minako nodded in agreement. "What is she running from?" Michiru asked. "Everything, most likely," Makoto answered.

"She can't keep running like this," Haruka sighed. "She has to realize there's no way out of this." Ami and Minako looked down in silence as Makoto stood up. They had remembered Rei's words well. "You don't understand what Rei's going through," she spoke as she glared at the older woman. "None of us do. You shouldn't make it seem like this simple for Rei. It's not. Just try to understand and let Rei do what she needs to do on her own."

Haruka blinked at the brunette for a moment. Then, there was silence among the group. Setsuna had decided not to say a word at all. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Makoto had basically summed everything up. Because she had, Setsuna thought about her actions towards Rei. She wanted to save their princess by getting between her and Rei, but that decision caused her to be cruel and not consider Rei's feelings. She knew Rei's life was never a simple story to begin with, but this was making it complicated.

Makoto was right. Rei's life wasn't simple. No one can really understand what she goes through. That was why she was given a family like this.

* * *

"I want to disappear," Rei muttered as she looked up in the sky. The sky was almost perfectly dark, but stars were here and there. "If she doesn't care, then I want to disappear."

"But I don't want you to."

Rei looked behind her and found Takashi. "You shouldn't be out here in the cold," he said as he put his jacket on for her, as if she were a child. Rei never protested. She only waited for the impending question. "Rei…what's been going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know about you, Rei. You're Sailor Mars, right?"

Rei's eyes widened with shock. "Who told you that?" she asked. "A woman," her father answered. "She never told me her name. She told me about you and your friends." He paused for a moment. "You…died?"

Rei reluctantly nodded. "How can that be? You're still here," Takashi mused. "Reincarnation. I have a job to do, and reincarnation brings me back to get it done." Takashi nodded slowly, figuring her explanation made sense. "Then, how many times have...died?" Rei looked away as she whistled and swirled her hair around her finger.

"Rei."

"Three times, I think…once, in my past life, two times in this."

Rei shut her eyes tight as she waited for an outburst. After a moment of silence, it came.

* * *

Usagi shook her head in disbelief. What was that supposed to mean? "What did she say?" she asked. "Rei said she would disappear," Minako repeated. Usagi didn't believe that. "Why? What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Rei suffers when you're not around."

Usagi blinked at Makoto. "What do you mean?" she asked. Makoto couldn't believe how dense Usagi was. It should have been obvious by now! Instead, she shook her head. "Nothing," she sighed. "Please, tell me," Usagi pleaded. Makoto shook her head, but Usagi was persistent. Eventually, the brunette couldn't take it anymore. "Rei's in love with you!" she exclaimed. She quickly covered her mouth. That wasn't supposed to happen…

"Rei…loves…me?" Usagi stammered. Ami and Minako nodded. "How long?" the blonde asked. "Ever since she met you," Ami answered. "She's managed to keep it a secret for this long, but I don't know if she'll keep it to herself," Minako added. Usagi couldn't believe it.

Rei…was in love… with her?

--End Chapter Five--

_Usagi has discovered Rei's love. How will she deal with it? Now that Rei's father knows about her days as a Senshi, will he targeted by the enemy? Who does Usagi _really_ love the most? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_

_P.S. I do not own Minako's rant in the beginning. I found the quote from a web comic that is loosely based on the game BSSM: Another Story._


	6. Chapter 6

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Six

Usagi had done it again. She wasn't talking. She only looked out the window and thought to herself. Luna had become worried again. She tried the same approach she had taken last time, but that didn't work. So, as a result, she tried something else. In moments, Luna jumped the blonde and scratched her nose. A loud scream was heard throughout the whole house.

Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo rushed into Usagi's room. Usagi fell off the bed as she clutched her nose in pain and rolled on her side. "Usagi, what happened?" Kenji asked. Usagi pointed to Luna. "I should've known," Shingo sighed as he left. "C'mon, Usagi, say something," Kenji sighed. Usagi said nothing as she rubbed her nose. Kenji gave up and went downstairs. Ikuko kneeled beside Usagi. "Are you alright?" she asked. Usagi shook her head. "Do you want me to do something about your nose?" Ikuko asked again. Usagi nodded.

"Then say it."

"Mama, Luna scratched my nose. It really hurts. Can you make the pain go away?"

Ikuko smiled with a nod. She stood up and helped her daughter up. Usagi just knew she would be babied for the rest of the day.

When the two were out the door, Luna sighed. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. At least Usagi was talking.

* * *

"That's how your life is now, huh?"

Rei nodded. Takashi was uneasy about this Senshi business. What if Rei would be in trouble again? What if she…? "I won't die again," Rei promised with a reassuring smile. "I'm stronger than I was before when I became Sailor Mars. I have kick-ass powers and I control fire. I think I can handle myself." Takashi laughed.

"Of course."

* * *

The girls glared at Mamoru. "Why did you use Usagi?" Minako asked. "I don't like being tied to one girl forever," Mamoru shrugged. "That's not what it looked like when you were first together," Makoto stated. "C'mon, Makoto, she was a clingy airhead," Mamoru sighed as he rolled his eyes. "I had to give her what she wanted."

"You did _not_ just call my best friend a clingy airhead!" Minako exclaimed as she lunged for the black-haired man. Makoto hooked her arms around the blonde's waist as an attempted to hold her back. "Let me 'em! Let me at 'em!" Minako yelled. "Do you have a sedative ready?" Makoto asked Ami. "I don't think we need to go that far to calm Minako down," Ami said.

Mamoru smirked, "Ami's right. I think I know just what to do." He walked up to Minako and kissed her. Makoto's jaw dropped while Ami covered her mouth in shock, muttering, "Oh my." Minako kissed back. "Minako, are you crazy?!" Makoto screamed. The blonde blinked as Mamoru parted. He walked away with a smirk. Minako covered her mouth when she realized what happened. She growled as she balled her hands into fists.

"No one kisses me in a non-romantic situation and gets away with it," she stated in a deadly tone. Makoto and Ami stepped back and let Minako run. "This won't end very well," Ami muttered. Makoto nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Let's try this again, Usagi," Luna sighed. "What's wrong this time?" Usagi took a moment to glare at the cat, and then looked out the window. Luna rolled her eyes and bit Usagi's arm. "Ow!" she exclaimed. When no one came up the stairs, Luna asked, "Why are you so depressed again?" Fearing another painful attack from Luna, Usagi answered, "I…I found out Rei…was in love…with me."

The cat blinked. That was all?

Usagi hugged her legs to her chest. "The girls told me a few days ago," she continued. "Ever since then, all I could think about was how Rei felt when I was with Mamoru. I must've broken her heart." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't want that. I don't want her to have a broken heart because of me."

Luna sighed as she sat at Usagi's feet. "If you choose to love Mamoru, Rei will always be there for you as a friend and your protector. If you choose to love Rei, she'll be the happiest woman in the world, and she'll treat you right."

"What about Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked. Luna shrugged, "Who cares?" The blonde sighed. "I wonder if that's how the girls feel."

* * *

Usagi entered Rei's room to find Makoto and Ami sitting on Rei's bed and Minako pacing around. 'I wonder why we always use Rei's room for an emergency,' Usagi thought. Minako waited for the fellow blonde to be seated. Then she stopped pacing. "Tsukino Usagi!" she yelled. The girls winced at her tone. "If you're gonna hang around Mamoru, I suggest putting a leash on him!" Usagi was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"This!"

Minako pointed to her lips. "That bastard of a boyfriend kissed me!"

"You kissed back," Makoto murmured in disgust. "It wasn't my fault!" Minako tried to explain. "He did something to me. Who in their right mind would want to kiss _that_?" Minako looked to Usagi. "No offense," she quickly added.

"You _kissed_ Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked. Minako shook her head. "He kissed _me_."

"And you kissed back," Ami muttered. "Not you, too, Ami-chan!" Minako whined.

Usagi stared daggers at Minako. "A kiss is a kiss, Minako. You had no right to kiss him at all."

"But it wasn't my fault, Usagi-chan…"

"Then I suppose it was Mamo-chan's fault you kissed him," Usagi scoffed. "He kissed _me_!" Minako screamed. "She's telling the truth, though, Usagi-chan," Ami said. "You see, we found Mamoru walking down the street and we asked him why he used you," Makoto began. "After calling you a clingy airhead, Minako lost it. She tried to fight him, but I grabbed her. She went crazy, and we needed Minako to calm down. Then, Mamoru kissed her." Makoto laughed to herself. "She kicked Mamoru's ass."

Usagi blinked. "He called me a clingy airhead?" The girls nodded. "He wouldn't have kissed me if _someone_ would've let me kick his ass earlier," Minako growled as she glared at Makoto. Usagi suddenly became angry. "Usagi-chan?" Ami called.

"You can call me a klutz. You can call me an idiot. You can call me anything you want. The one thing you can _never_ call me is a clingy airhead!"

"She's gonna blow!" Minako exclaimed. "Take cover!" Makoto yelled as she dashed under the bed with Ami.

* * *

Mamoru rubbed his cheek. It was stinging like hell. As if the beating he received from Minako wasn't enough. "Usako, why did you slap me?" he asked softly. "A clingy airhead!?" Usagi exclaimed. "You see me as a clingy airhead!?"

Mamoru blinked as Minako, Makoto, and Ami leaned against the wall behind Usagi. They were all glaring at him. "Of course not," he said finally. "Why would Minako tell you such a lie?" Minako was just about to jump him, but Makoto grabbed her before she could. "She doesn't want us together, Usako," Mamoru continued.

"Damn straight!" Minako agreed.

"She's trying to break us up," Mamoru sighed.

"I would never do that unless Usagi-chan told me to," Minako clarified. "If that's true, then why did you kiss me?" Mamoru asked. "I did _not_ kiss you!" Minako screamed. "Not even Ami would want to kiss you."

"Not when she has this," Makoto smirked. Ami blushed slightly as she felt the brunette's arm go around her waist. "Guys, I love the idea of you openly showing your affection and all, but back to the clingy airhead issue!" Usagi exclaimed. "Usako, I didn't call you a clingy airhead," Mamoru sighed. It sounded as though he were bored.

Usagi shook her head. "You know what?" she asked. "I've had enough. I can't understand how you can continue to lie to me this way." Mamoru blinked. "When have I lied to you?" he asked. "You idiot, you just did!" Minako stated.

"You're the liars," Mamoru accused. "Usako, you would really believe them over me?"

"They have never lied to me. Why should they start now?"

"_I_ have never lied to you either. Why would I start now?"

"You should've asked yourself that before realizing I'm not the naïve girl I used to be."

Mamoru looked into the four pairs of eyes glaring at him. "C'mon, guys, let's go," Usagi sighed as she left. Minako slapped him once more before following her. "That's what you get for kissing me!" she yelled. Ami shook her head. "I can't wait until Rei hears about this," Makoto smirked as they followed the two blondes.

Mamoru silently fumed as the girls walked out of sight. He would not let Usagi get away with this.

* * *

"What a turn of events."

"Does that affect the plan?"

"Sort of."

"How so?"

"Let's just say that Rei won't be so pleased when she comes back."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Definitely."

* * *

Rei walked up the steps. It was very late and no stars were in the sky this time. She had been gone for two weeks. She had lied in the note she left with the girls. That way, they wouldn't have thought of looking for her and she would have all the time she needed to reflect on her misery and sulk.

Just then, she heard whimpering. 'Is someone crying?' Rei mentally asked herself. She rushed to the source of the noise. It appeared to be coming from her room. She opened the door to find someone wrapped up in a blanket in the corner. She entered cautiously and looked around her room. Things were overturned while shattered glass covered the ground and pictures had been ripped to pieces.

She kneeled next to the person. She placed a hand on their shoulder, but the person pushed her away.

"Don't touch me."

Rei blinked at the voice. "Usagi?"

"I'm not worthy of being the Queen of Crystal Tokyo."

Rei didn't understand. "Usagi, what's going on?" she asked softly.

"I'm not worthy of anything."

Rei removed the blanket from Usagi but later regretted it. She stared at Usagi's bare back, realizing Usagi was naked. Rei quickly covered her and made the blonde look at her. Tears streamed down her beautiful face. "I'm not worthy of your eyes looking at me, gleaming with love," she whispered as she looked down. "I can't face the others. I'm a disgrace."

"No, you're not," Rei said as she cupped her cheeks. Usagi pushed her away once more. "I'm too dirty to be touched," she muttered. Rei scooped Usagi into her arms and stood. Usagi cried in the crook of her neck. Rei looked around the room one last time before her eyes widened.

"Oh, no," she murmured. She shook her head. "No, no, no, no." She was appalled. This couldn't have happened. "Usagi, are you okay!? Who did this!?"

Usagi didn't answer but instead said, "I'm a disgrace."

What Rei found was blood on the spot Usagi was sitting in and on her bed along with a different substance. It was…

* * *

Rei cradled Usagi in her arms in silence. She had cleaned up the mess and replaced the sheets. She had called Usagi's parents to tell them she would be staying with her for a while. What had happened would stay between them. No one was to know of this, not even the girls.

Rei felt Usagi pull her closer. "I'm right here, Usagi," she whispered. "No one's going to hurt you."

"Don't leave me," Usagi pleaded. "I won't," Rei promised. "I'll be by your side forever."

"How sweet."

Usagi looked up immediately in fear while Rei looked up in anger. "If you don't mind, Rei, I'd like my Usako back," Mamoru smirked. The raven-haired girl gave the man a defiant glare. She held Usagi closer to her. "You don't deserve her, you bastard," she spat. Mamoru laughed. "So you found out."

"Dumbass, this is _my_ room. I think I would've figured it out eventually."

Mamoru ignored the insult as he stared intently at Usagi. "Usako, you're taking this way too seriously," he sighed. "Why shouldn't she? You raped her," Rei growled. "You're a poor excuse for a man. To think you're the future king of the Earth." Mamoru shrugged with a smirk. "I'm just a lucky bastard."

Rei gave him a dark glare. Her eyes became clouded with anger and a red aura outlined her body. She stood up as she clenched her teeth and balled her hands into fists. "Rei?" Usagi called softly. "Have I gotten the little girl mad?" Mamoru laughed. Suddenly, a smirk spread across the raven-haired girl's features. Energy rushed through her body. She felt stronger. She brought her hands to her face and watched them become engulfed in flames. She glanced at Mamoru who had looked amused. "Bring it," he said.

"You shouldn't tempt me."

"I think I accomplished that already," Mamoru grinned. "Now, shall we begin?" The aura around Rei grew brighter. There was no backing down now.

* * *

Haruka entered the kitchen with a smirk on her face. Setsuna rolled her eyes as she figured out what Haruka's intentions were when she saw that smirk. Haruka had set her sights for the unsuspecting Michiru. The aqua-haired woman was washing the dishes. Haruka put her arms around Michiru's waist. "Michiru, I'm hungry," she sighed.

"Still?"

"Yup," the blonde answered. "And what do you want me to do about it?" Michiru asked. "Well, I was hoping I could have a dessert or something," Haruka shrugged. "Like some ice cream, sprinkles here and there, and you." Michiru blushed slightly as she elbowed Haruka in the stomach. "What was that for?" she asked as she rubbed her stomach. Michiru apologized quickly. "It was a reflex," she explained. "Usually when you do something like that, Hotaru's here."

Setsuna sighed as she watched the two lovers. She looked down at her tea when she found something wrong. It was as if the cup were trembling, yet the cup didn't seem to be moving. There were ripples in the tea. Setsuna didn't understand. The ground wasn't shaking at all.

'Something very powerful must be here somewhere,' she thought to herself. She thought about it until the answer slapped her in the face. "Shit," she cursed as she stood up. Haruka gasped, "Setsuna finally swore!" Michiru was just as shocked. "Shut the hell up and go to the car," Setsuna hissed as she glared at the two. "If you don't want something catastrophic to happen, I suggest you stop gawking and get moving." Haruka and Michiru did as they were told immediately.

* * *

With her newfound strength, Rei was unstoppable. Mamoru couldn't fight back unless he wanted to burn his skin away. She wouldn't stop until his corpse was a pile of ashes. "No roses?" Rei sneered. "I thought you were a gentlemen." She attempted to punch Mamoru in the stomach, but he blocked her. Rei glared at him intently. "I wonder how long you can keep this up," she said. "Isn't the heat unbearable?"

Mamoru tried to use his free hand and punch the teenager. It was in vain. The pain was becoming worse as Rei gripped his hand. "Not a very smart move," she observed. When he couldn't take anymore, Mamoru stepped away from her. He looked at his burned hands. She would pay for that.

He aimed his palm for Rei and summoned the energy he needed. Rei looked at him skeptically. "Roses of the world, come together and make a pile on top of Rei," she joked as she rolled her eyes. Mamoru smirked once he was ready.

"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"

A blast came from the man's burned hands. It was painful, but it had to be worth it.

Rei was frozen with surprise. The blast engulfed her. It took a few minutes for Mamoru to see what happened. Eventually, he saw Rei on the ground. She didn't stir. He kicked her as hard as he could to make sure she wouldn't get up again. She didn't wake up. Mamoru smirked, "The lucky bastard strikes again."

He left her body and went to her room. Usagi had stayed there. She sat in the corner. Mamoru laughed. It was the way he had left her last time. "C'mon, Usako, it's time to go," he said. Usagi shook her head. "Where's Rei?" she asked. "I killed her," Mamoru shrugged. "She wasn't so tough." Usagi shook her head again. Rei said she wouldn't leave her. She promised.

Mamoru kneeled beside Usagi and caressed her cheek. The blonde flinched at contact. "Don't worry about her," he whispered. "You still have me." Just as he began making his advances towards her, his eyes grew wide as he felt a sharp pain in his back and a burning feeling in his heart.

"Stupid dumbass. Always close the door if you want to make sure your opponent is dead. That way, you hear them come in."

Rei had grabbed his heart with her flaming hand with a smirk. "And think twice before kicking me." She squeezed the organ slightly and let the flames intensify. In seconds, his heart was no more. Rei extracted her hand with satisfaction and let the corpse fall on Usagi. As the flames had finally died, Usagi could see her hand covered in his blood. The blonde lost her voice. Her dead ex was lying on her while her best friend had just killed him. What could she say?

Rei picked him up and carried his lifeless body outside. She hid his body in the bushes. She went back to Usagi's side with a smile. "He won't hurt you ever again," she whispered in her ear. She kissed the blonde's jaw line.

"Why?"

Rei looked up into Usagi's eyes. She was crying. "Usagi, what's wrong?" the raven-haired girl asked. "Why, Rei?" Usagi asked. "Why did you kill him?"

"He hurt you and didn't care about you at all. He needed to die."

Usagi shook her head. "No, you're wrong. Even though what he did was unforgivable, he didn't deserve that." Rei sighed as she leaned closer. "I only did what I thought was necessary as a senshi," she explained softly. "He needed to be punished to eternal suffering. What I did was only the beginning."

"You're not the Rei I know," Usagi whispered. "You've just never seen this side of me," Rei said. "This side of me is the one that would do _anything_ to protect you." Then, Rei pressed her lips against Usagi's.

Suddenly, the door opened.

--End Chapter Six--

_Who opened the door? Will Usagi be able to cope with Mamoru's death? Will she return Rei's love? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	7. Chapter 7

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Seven

Suddenly, the door opened. Rei slowly pulled away and smiled, putting her finger to her lips. Knowing her friends couldn't find out about this, Usagi nodded slowly.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

"Two lovers perhaps?"

"One of those lovers lied to us and came back two weeks before she was supposed to.

Rei turned around to find Minako, Makoto, and Ami. "Hey, guys," she said. Ami then noticed something very wrong. Usagi looked slightly frightened while Rei had blood on her hand and she had dirt on parts of her body. "Rei, are you okay?" she asked. "Yeah, why?"

"Your hand's covered in blood."

Rei discreetly moved her hand behind her back and motioned Usagi to clean it off. Usagi took the hint and leaned on Rei. She took part of her shirt and began rubbing it off. "No, it's not," she denied. "Why would you think that?"

"What was that red liquid on your hand? And why is Usagi leaning on you?"

Rei came up with a lie. She wasn't sure how Usagi would react to it, but she had to say something. "Usagi and I are in love," she said. "What can I say?" Usagi nodded quickly. "As for the red liquid, I have no idea of what you're talking about."

"Then why are you so dirty?"

'She's so persistent,' Rei mentally groaned. "Usagi pushed me when I teased her outside," she lied. "I didn't think she would take it so seriously." Ami opened her mouth, but Makoto put her hand on Ami's shoulder. "Let it go, Ami," she said. Ami sighed in defeat. She knew something was going on, and she would find out.

"So," Minako smirked, "What was that about you and Usagi?" Rei happily repeated her statement. "Want to prove it?" Minako asked. Rei tilted her head back and soon felt Usagi's lips against hers.

This was definitely the best lie Rei had ever told. On top of that, Usagi seemed to be taking it well.

* * *

Setsuna rushed up the steps of the jinja. That powerful energy was gone. 'Too late,' she thought. "Setsuna, tell us what's up," Michiru sighed. Setsuna remained silent as she got to the top. She walked towards Rei's room.

"Aw! Are they so cute together?"

"Calm down, guys, it's not that serious."

"What are you talking about?! This is a momentous moment!"

Setsuna opened the door to Rei's room, ending the conversation. "Hey, Setsuna-san," Makoto greeted. "What brings you here?"

"What brings _you_ here?" Rei asked, staring her friends down. "You're always using my room for something." Before anyone could respond, Setsuna asked, "Rei, can I have a word with you for a moment?" Rei nodded and stood. When they left, Minako said, "Setsuna-san didn't look very…Setsuna-san-ish." Usagi lied on her stomach and sighed. "I wonder who put a bee in her undies."

* * *

Rei noted that Setsuna didn't look very pleased. The woman was giving her a dark look. "What did you do?" she asked in a soft voice. "I didn't do anything," Rei replied. "Don't lie to me," Setsuna growled. "I know it was you who released that energy." Rei grinned, "There's no fooling you, huh?" Setsuna eyed her warily, waiting for Rei to continue. "Well, if you really must know, I got really mad today," she explained. "So, I took my anger out on your crush. Well, _future_ crush."

Setsuna blinked. "Mamoru? My crush? Don't make me gag," she grimaced. Rei shrugged. "In the midst of my anger, I killed him." Setsuna's jaw dropped slightly. "What's the matter, Setsuna-san? Surprised?" the miko grinned. The taller woman took a step closer to her, grabbing her shoulders. Her grip was tight, but it didn't hurt. By the look on Setsuna's face, it seemed that she was trying to be intimidating. Rei wasn't suckered into that trick. She merely waited for the woman to continue.

"Do you realize what you have done?"

"Of course. I altered the future and kept Usagi safe."

Setsuna gave the younger girl a questioning glance. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. Rei shook her head. "That's for me to know and for you to never find out."

* * *

"Rei and Usagi are together!?" Haruka exclaimed with excitement. "Finally!" Michiru clapped her hands together with a smile and asked, "What helped you finally realize your feelings for Rei?"

"Mamoru!" Minako shouted. "He called her a clingy airhead and she broke up with him!" Makoto nodded in agreement. "He was a wimp anyway," she shrugged. "Minako beat him up when he kissed her." Minako suddenly became dramatic as she touched her lips. "My lips…they're tainted."

As her friends conversed with each other, Usagi remembered Mamoru's face when his lifeless body had fallen on top of her. His eyes had lost their shine when his soul departed the body. Usagi despised herself. She was supposed to feel happy that he was gone. She didn't have to worry about him coming back for her. Why did she have to feel remorse? It wasn't fair.

"So, in your own words," Michiru said as she glanced at Minako who smiled sheepishly, "What helped you realized your feelings for Rei?" Usagi blinked when she snapped out of her thoughts. She was silent for a moment. Then she answered, "Rei." She smiled slightly before continuing. "Her soothing voice comforts me. Her strong arms protect me and hold me close. Her gentle touch sends shivers up my spine. I...I just love everything about her."

There was silence for a few moments until Minako decided to speak. "Is that how you feel with Mako-chan, Ami-chan?" she asked. "What, what, what?!" Haruka and Michiru gasped. "You two are a couple, too?" Ami blushed as Makoto snaked her arm around her waist. "Hai," the brunette answered proudly.

Once the interrogation began, Rei entered the room with Setsuna. "C'mon, guys, it's time to go," the woman sighed. "But we just got here," Haruka complained. "We got here a good five minutes ago," Setsuna corrected.

"Exactly!"

Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Oh, guess what?" Haruka said. "Setsuna finally swore today!"

"Really?" Minako and Makoto asked. Haruka nodded as she began explaining what happened earlier. Rei took this opportunity to motion Usagi outside. The blonde nodded and stood up. Setsuna noticed the red stain on her shirt. 'It's probably his blood,' she thought. She shuddered slightly. She could only imagine what Rei did to Mamoru.

* * *

Usagi nodded slowly as she cast her gaze downward. Rei had asked her if she still thought of Mamoru. She was probably disappointed with her. The raven-haired girl would probably tell her that she should have been happy that he was gone. She wouldn't understand. For some reason, Usagi couldn't be happy when she knew others were hurting. She wanted everyone to be smiling and happy, and she wanted to make things fair so that everything would be equal for everyone. Even though Mamoru did what he had done, he didn't deserve to die that way. Usagi felt guilty, as if she had been the one who killed him. She didn't know why she felt that way, but she couldn't help it, being the kind of girl she was.

No, Rei couldn't understand what was going through her head right now. She didn't have that kind of thinking.

"If you feel that way, then what do you think of me creating this lie about us?"

"I think it was wrong to lie in the first place…demo, if you're happy, then it's okay."

Rei gave the blonde a look of disbelief. "It's not about me being happy. It's about you," she explained. "I live to make you happy. I killed Mamoru so he wouldn't touch you ever again. That way, you would be happy and you wouldn't have to worry about him coming back." She pulled Usagi close to her and stole a kiss. Usagi didn't respond, not wanting Rei to get any ideas. When Rei pulled away, she asked, "Is what you said about me true?" Usagi muttered her answer as she looked away, but Rei wouldn't have it. She gently grabbed Usagi's chin and looked deeply into her eyes. "Louder."

"Yes."

Usagi expected Rei to smile; her serious demeanor remained. "Do you love me?" she asked. "…I don't know," Usagi answered. "I feel like I should say 'yes', but a part of me can't stop thinking of Mamoru." She broke eye contact and apologized. There was silence for a few moments. Rei ran a finger down Usagi's cheek. "I'm probably rushing you," she said finally. "I want you to love me, but I can't expect you to do that because I want you to."

Her finger traveled to the blonde's lips, grazing them lightly. "We're not supposed to be this close," she remembered. "But no matter how much I try to distance myself from you, I get closer to you instead." She smiled slightly. "Even if I die because of my actions, loving you would still be worth it." Rei stole one more kiss. When she pulled away, she whispered, "Aishiteru, my love."

* * *

Haruka drove down the street with a frown. "That wasn't fair, Setsuna," she whined. "Life isn't fair," Setsuna sighed with frustration. "So, why did we go to the jinja in the first place?" Michiru asked. "Something happened," the green-haired woman said softly.

"Like what?"

"Nothing important."

Michiru didn't believe that. "That's a lie," she stated. "It must've been important since you won't tell us." Setsuna sighed again as she looked out the window. Why did Rei kill Mamoru? Didn't she realize that he was needed as the King of Earth? What was the future like now? 'Chibi-Usa's probably gone,' she thought sadly.

Was Rei insane?

The car came to an abrupt stop. "Why did you stop?" Michiru asked. "I saw her," Haruka answered hastily as she got out the car. She ran away as fast as she could, trying to follow the person she had seen. The others got out the car and ran after the blonde. Eventually, they came to a stop. "Haruka, what was that all about?" Setsuna panted. "I saw her, I swear," Haruka said. "I know she's here somewhere."

"Who did you see?"

"Hotaru," Haruka said. "I saw her. I know I did."

The wind blew violently as Haruka looked around. Hotaru was there somewhere. "Hotaru, where are you?!" Haruka shouted. There was no answer. Haruka walked around cautiously. "Hotaru, come out so we can take you home!" The wind suddenly died down as Saturn descended from the sky. "What if I don't want to go home?" she grinned. "Don't talk such nonsense," Michiru spoke. "So you're calling me nonsensical?" Saturn asked. Haruka sweatdropped. "Honey, that's not a word…"

"Yes, it is, Haruka," Setsuna corrected. Haruka gasped. "It is?"

"Yes. Get a dictionary."

"Enough!"

Everything went quiet immediately. "Amazing. You listen to someone younger then you. Do you let Hotaru have her way with everything?"

The trio looked around to find the source of the voice. They looked back to Saturn and found the woman behind her. "What did you do to Hotaru?" Michiru asked. The woman laughed. "What makes you think that _I _did anything?" she asked. "Don't play dumb with us," Haruka growled. The woman smirked as she put her hands on Saturn's shoulders. "Nothing horrible," she answered. "As you can see, I still have her in one piece." Haruka balled her hands up into fists. She ran towards the two, intent on getting her daughter back.

Setsuna didn't try to stop her. It was already too late.

* * *

Usagi sat next to the bed. She hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, she saw Mamoru's face. A smirk and a devilish look was what she saw. She opened her eyes with a sigh. She was acting paranoid for no reason. Nothing was going to happen. Usagi tried to believe it, but as the images entered her mind, it became harder to believe.

"Hey, odango atama."

Usagi looked up. Rei was sitting on the bed. Her expression looked slightly annoyed but mostly tired. It was late after all. She was probably worried because the blonde wouldn't at least try to get some sleep. She stood up and stretched. "Come with me," she ordered. Usagi nodded and followed Rei. She was surprised when the raven-haired girl picked her up. She leaped up and landed on the roof. She sat down with Usagi sitting in between her legs. She was silent at first as she put her arms around the blonde. Usagi relaxed under her touch. They gazed at the sky, which was filled with stars.

"You see that?" Rei asked as she pointed towards the sky. "That's the Ursa Minor. It's also known as the Little Dipper." Usagi looked around. "Where?" Rei positioned Usagi's head in a certain way. After a while, Usagi found it. "Suteki. I didn't know you were into astrology."

"It's astronomy, Usagi," Rei corrected. Usagi scratched her head with a laugh. "If you want, I can tell you how I got interested in it." Usagi nodded as she leaned against Rei. "I'd love that."

* * *

Haruka paced around with anger. Her back was killing her, and she let parental stupidity cloud her eyes. That was definitely something to be angry about. Michiru had bandaged her back while Setsuna scolded her. She let Setsuna ramble on until it got old. "And that brings me back to the point…"

"Okay, Setsuna," Haruka sighed as she stopped pacing. "I get it. I was stupid and I should've thought things through." There was a brief silence, but Haruka growled as she shook her fists. "But once Hotaru comes back home, I will ground her for eternity!" Michiru sighed as she shook her head. Haruka would never forget this. If things happened differently, she wouldn't be alive.

* * *

_Haruka ran towards Saturn and the woman, intent on getting her daughter back. Saturn quickly moved out the way. Haruka was about to strike the woman down when she felt a sharp pain in her back. She stopped in her tracks. She heard Michiru gasp and call her name. She fell to her knees. Her vision was blurred. She turned to find Saturn grinning._

"_Hotaru, what…did you do to me?" Haruka asked as she took a deep breath. "I have a Silence Glaive," Saturn answered. "I use it to silence anything that stands in my way." Haruka closed her eyes. She still felt the pain, but she was sure it would disappear eventually._

_With that, the woman and Saturn disappeared. Michiru and Setsuna ran to Haruka's side. Tears streamed down Michiru's face. She was on the verge of panicking when Setsuna pulled her together. Together, they carried Haruka to the car._

* * *

"Don't be mad, Haruka," Michiru smiled as she embraced the blonde. "When she comes back, I'm sure she'll apologize and everything will be alright again." Haruka only sighed with a shrug. "_If_ she comes back." Her lover tightened her grip on Haruka, causing her to yelp in pain. "Hotaru _will_ come back," she stated as a matter-of-factly. "We'll make sure of that." Haruka nodded quickly. Michiru kissed her chin.

Setsuna shuddered. Michiru was scary when she hurt Haruka just to make a point.

* * *

"Are we ready?"

"This is a complicated process. I have to be careful with this, ya know."

"Liar…"

"Did you just call my mistress a liar, turban boy?"

"You should step down, child. I'm not afraid to attack girls as young as you."

"Stop bickering. If this falls apart, you both pay the price."

"Of course."

* * *

Minako stood before Rei with a stern look. At first, Minako didn't say a word. Rei guessed she was listening to Makoto's cheers as Usagi did her homework, probably successfully. Eventually, they heard a thud. From Makoto's questions, something must have happened to Ami. Finally, Minako spoke. "You're lying about being with Usagi," she said. "Why?"

Rei shrugged and looked down. "It's probably because I wanted her to be closer to me," she sighed. "I couldn't help it." Minako gave her a sympathetic glance. Rei looked up with a grin. "You really believed that?" she laughed. Minako glared at her. "Tell me the truth. Even though things seem normal, there's something that just doesn't fit." Rei shook her head. "We may be friends, Minako, but not all friends can tell each other everything," she stated coldly. Minako blinked.

Usagi suddenly jumped Rei from behind. "Rei, Rei, Rei!" she exclaimed hyperactively, "I did my homework right _and_ I made Ami faint! Isn't that cool!?"

"It's not cool, it's the end of the world," Rei muttered as she began to rapidly lose air. Usagi was a princess, but she wasn't light. "What was that?" Usagi asked as she glared at the girl under her. Rei couldn't respond. When she closed her eyes, Minako screamed. She had just realized Rei couldn't breathe. Usagi panicked when she understood what had happened. "Mako-chan, get Ami-chan! Quick!"

There was silence for a few moments until giggles filled the air.

"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan, but she's helping me study."

* * *

Rei sighed as Usagi rubbed her back. "That hurt, ya know."

"I'm sorry."

"You could have killed me."

"I'm sorry."

"I love you anyway."

"I'm so…"

Rei laughed when Usagi didn't finish her sentence. "I know you didn't mean to suffocate me to near-death." Usagi pouted as she crossed her arms. "Then why do you keep bringing it up?" she asked. "So I can mess with your head." Usagi playfully hit Rei's arm. She then sighed and leaned against her friend. "What's wrong, Usagi?" Rei asked. The blonde was silent for a while. Her hand traveled up and down Rei's arm. Eventually, it wandered to her hand. Their fingers were intertwined.

"Usagi?"

Usagi kissed Rei's cheek and said, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just messing with your head." She stood up and left the room. The raven-haired girl was bewildered. What was that all about?

* * *

"Guys, I'm telling the truth. Those two are _not_ together."

"Then I guess Rei and Usagi's sudden closeness and their kisses are merely signs of friendship."

"They're lying to us. They must be keeping something from us."

"…Minako has a point."

"Not you, too, Ami."

"Whenever Rei's away from her, Usagi seems frightened…"

"And no one does that if their lover is gone for only a minute."

"There was blood on Rei's hand, too. I know it. Usagi must have wiped it off with her shirt."

"Then how come _I_ didn't see any on her shirt?"

"None of us were paying attention. We were all talking to Haruka-san and Michiru-san."

"…Now that I think about it, Usagi was lying on her stomach the whole time."

"Guys, we have to find out why Rei and Usagi are lying to us. Do whatever it takes."

* * *

Rei sighed as she gathered her stuff. Usagi had stayed with her for weeks. Rei didn't go to school at all. Usagi, however, went every now and then. Ami and the others would bring her homework on the days she was absent. Rei could only imagine how worried Usagi's parents were. Usagi watched her quietly as she went around the room collecting things. "Where are you going, Rei-chan?" she asked. "My father and I are going on a trip," Rei answered. "You know, to spend time together." Usagi smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're getting along with your father," she said.

"That's not entirely a good thing."

Usagi frowned and tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"We're becoming very close. He knows about me being Sailor Mars, and he can be targeted by the enemy at any moment."

Usagi gasped. Rei sat down on her bed with a sigh. "That woman…I know she'll target him soon," she prophesized. "It'll only be a matter of time." Usagi shook her head to disagree. "That's not true. We'll stop her before then."

"Usagi, I know you're trying to be optimistic, but hoping won't work this time," Rei stated. "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things don't come out the way you want them to. So, in short…" She paused for a moment. She gazed into Usagi's eyes as if she were trying to look through her. "…My father will die soon."

"Don't you care?" Usagi asked, brimming with tears. "Wouldn't you at least try to save him?"

"Even if I try, his fate is already sealed."

Usagi trembled with anger. Rei's pessimistic act drove her crazy. She was supposed to say the opposite. She was supposed to look on the bright side. "Being a Sailor Senshi means saving the world from all evil," she began shakily as tears went down her cheeks. "When we save the world, we save all the people in it, including your father. Not caring if he dies or not is the same as giving up being who you are and what you stand for!"

Rei seemed slightly unmoved. At first, she balled her hands into fists. It was like what Usagi had said had an affect on her. Then, she placed her hands on her lap. Her chilling stare never faltered. Finally, after minutes of silence, she shrugged. "You're right. I shouldn't have been so negative."

"You don't mean it."

Rei stood to her feet and walked over to the blonde. She embraced her and whispered, "Can I kiss you again?" Usagi blinked in confusion. "Why?" she asked.

"So I can show you that I'm telling the truth."

Without waiting for an answer, Rei pressed her lips against the blonde's. Again, Usagi didn't respond. She was still convinced that Rei didn't mean what she said. The kiss ended when the door opened.

"Rei-chan!"

--End Chapter Seven--

_Once again, who opened the door? Will the girls find out Rei and Usagi's secret? Will Hotaru ever come back? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	8. Chapter 8

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting differently. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's not mine.

Chapter Eight

"Rei-chan!"

Usagi and Rei looked toward the door and found the woman. "What the hell are you doing here?" Rei spat. The woman smirked and turned away. "I was going to tell you something important, but with a tone like that, I'll just keep it to myself." Rei shrugged. "Okay then." The woman and Usagi did a double take. "What!?" they exclaimed. "Rei, something really bad is obviously going on," Usagi said. "Remember that talk we just had?" Rei rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"I knew it! You didn't care about what I said at all!"

"I did care about what you said, Usagi…"

"Liar!"

The woman rolled her eyes at the two's bickering. "You have half an hour to find him or else he dies. Don't get the others. If you do, I'll kill him immediately." The room suddenly became quiet as the woman disappeared. Usagi was frightened. "She said 'him', Rei!" she panicked. "That could be your father!"

"As if that wasn't obvious enough."

Ignoring the comment, Usagi grabbed Rei's hand and raced away from the jinja. "Usagi, we need to get the others and split up," Rei explained. "We'll have a better chance of finding my father if we do…"

"Oh, Rei-chan, did you really think that no one would watch you follow the rules?"

Rei and Usagi looked up and found a grinning Saturn. Rei cursed under her breath. "Better hurry," Saturn said. "The clock's ticking." She ascended higher into the sky. "Hotaru!" Usagi shouted. "She's a Sailor Senshi," Rei noted. "She'll be able to spot us from anywhere when she gets high enough. C'mon, we have to hurry." Usagi nodded and ran in one direction. Rei ran in the other.

* * *

Minako, Makoto and Ami walked into Rei's room. "I wonder where Rei went," Makoto murmured. "I wonder where she was gonna go," Minako said when she pointed out the stuff on the bed. Ami ignored the things gathered on the bed. Instead, she looked around the room. She looked at the dresser. That's when she came to a realization. "Hey, guys?" Makoto and Minako looked towards Ami. "You know how Rei had pictures on her dresser?"

"Yeah."

"Did you ever wonder what happened to them?"

There was silence as the two looked at the dresser. The pictures that were framed were gone. "Maybe she put them somewhere else," Makoto shrugged. Minako shook her head. "Rei said that friends should always have pictures of each other on their dresser and no where else. Coming from her, that's very important." Then, she frowned. "Maybe she doesn't like us anymore."

"That can't be the case," Ami muttered as she moved the stuff on the bed aside. The two behind her looked on in curiosity. She sighed in frustration when she found nothing. "Let's look outside." Minako nodded and went behind the jinja. Makoto, however, stopped Ami. "Why are you so bent on this?" she asked. "If Rei and Usagi have a secret, that means they won't tell us until they're ready."

"Considering the kind of mess Rei's in, sharing a secret with anyone means she's knows something important that all of us should know."

Ami left the room and began her search.

* * *

Minako saw the bull's-eyes Rei used for target practice. A picture of Mamoru's face was in the center. An arrow was placed in between his eyes. Minako shuddered. Rei was scary sometimes. Minako looked out into the woods-like area a few feet away from the bull's-eye. She heard whispering coming from it. She walked closer. The whispering continued. There was something about the voice…it was mesmerizing. She was just about to enter the woods when she heard her name being called.

"Minako!"

The blonde stopped in her tracks and turned around. Makoto was standing behind her with her hands on her hips. "Did you hear what I said?" she asked with annoyance. Minako shook her head. "I said that there's nothing in Rei's room, or the kitchen, or anywhere else that's suspicious." Minako nodded. "I swear, you're so weird sometimes," Makoto muttered. Minako ignored her as she looked towards the woods. She wondered where that voice came from.

* * *

A few minutes later, Minako and Makoto walked to the front. Ami was leaning on the tree. Her head was cast towards the ground. She was probably deep in thought. "What's up, Ami-chan?" Minako asked. Slowly, the blue-haired girl lifted her head. "I feel like something's wrong," she answered. "I know I should do something about it, but…there's something holding me back."

Ami looked into the sky. "I don't know what this means." Makoto went to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "It means we have to sit back and wait."

* * *

Rei had found her father. He was unconscious. Of course, the woman was there, too. "Took you long enough," she grinned. "There was only five minutes left." Rei panted for a little while. Her legs were aching. This was one of those moments when she actually _wanted_ water. Eventually, the panting subsided. "Who are you?" Rei asked. "Why are you toying with me? Is this a game to you?" The woman laughed. "What is this, twenty-one questions?"

"No, this is three questions. I expect you answer them."

The woman walked around Rei. "Well, I can't give away who I really am," she said. "That would ruin the fun." Rei stared at her hard, her eyes narrowing. Well, it was obvious that everything was a game to the woman at this point. This annoyed Rei greatly. Sighing, the woman crossed her arms and shrugged, "How about Eris?"

"Like the goddess of chaos and discord?"

"The one and the same," Eris answered. "I have my own chaotic ways, too." Rei nodded slowly. "Okay, second question." Eris frowned playfully as she ran a finger down the raven-haired girl's cheek. "I wouldn't say that I'm toying with you. I'm only trying to show you things that can make you stronger." Rei didn't get it. "What do you mean?" Eris grinned when she kissed Rei. Rei didn't pull away nor did she deepen the kiss.

However, when Eris pulled away, Rei felt different. It was like her body was adjusting to something new. That something shouldn't have been there. Then, pain ran through her body. New energy was flowing through her veins. Everything was happening so fast it was painful. She fell to her knees and looked up. "Stop it," she pleaded. "She'll come here." Eris smirked. "I know she will. That's the point." Rei screamed and gripped her head as more energy rushed through her. It hurt so much. She wanted it to end. The only problem was Usagi. If she came, it would end. When it ended…Rei would do something catastrophic.

* * *

Usagi stopped in her tracks. She felt something tug at her heart. She saw an image of Rei. Knowing something was wrong, the blonde ran in the opposite direction. She hoped Rei was okay. When she was right in front of the jinja, the Moonlight Knight appeared before her. "Where's Rei?" Usagi asked. The Moonlight Knight shook his head. "I can't tell you that," he explained. "She hasn't suffered enough yet." Usagi tried to run passed him, but he blocked her way. He smirked when he saw the others ran down the steps.

He pointed his finger towards Usagi. A light purple beam came from it and went through her. Usagi couldn't move. She noticed the girls stopped running. It was like time had stopped. Her heart felt like it was about to explode in her chest, beating faster and faster inside her. Soon, she fell to the ground.

The Moonlight Knight picked her up and looked at the girls. "Don't look for her," he ordered. "If you do, you'll regret it." He then disappeared. "We have to find Usagi," Makoto said. "Where ever he's taking her, Rei must be there." Minako nodded in agreement. "If we do," Ami began, "We'd be playing right into the enemy's trap."

* * *

Rei endured it. The pain was unbearable. It was agonizing. Even so, she endured it. She looked up at Eris. Still smirking, her arms still crossed. Was she waiting Usagi? Was she watching how long Rei could endure this? Was it all of the above?

"You know, Rei-chan, there is one way to end this."

Rei's eyes lit up almost immediately. "Just accept the darkness and promise to kill your princess." Eris held her hand out to Rei. At first, Rei stared at it. She wanted this to end. She was becoming more desperate. Her hand moved slowly towards Eris'. "After this, there will be nothing but bliss."

Rei's hand stopped. Instead, the raven-haired girl tried to stand. Eris was surprised at her determination. "With you, there is only chaos," Rei stated. "I'd rather die than join you." She tried keeping her balance. Flames of rage could be seen dancing in her eyes – she wouldn't lose now. "I will never kill Usagi," she continued. "If you hate her that much, then do it yourself." Her hands became engulfed in flame. They were more intense than they were the last time. Her body was outlined in dark red. "The day I accept the darkness is when I have nothing to live for and I give up everything."

"Trust me, Rei-chan, that day will come very soon."

"I won't accept the darkness! Not today!"

Eris smirked as Rei charged towards her. "You should listen to yourself," she said. "The darkness is starting to manifest itself inside you. When you become furious, your first instinct will be to kill. The person you'll kill will be your princess." She snapped her fingers. She had summoned the Moonlight Knight. Usagi was in his arms.

* * *

Saturn noticed Haruka's car. After a couple of turns, it was near the spot Rei was at. Saturn smirked as she twirled the Silence Glaive with amusement. "Things are about to get interesting." She disappeared and reappeared at her destination. She sat in a tree and waited.

* * *

The girls were silent. They wondered if Usagi was okay. Makoto sighed, knowing there was only one way to find out. She ran down the street. "Mako-chan, where are you going?" Minako called after her. Makoto didn't answer. Ami rubbed her temples with a sigh. "One day, she'll the death of me," she grumbled. "C'mon, Minako-chan." With that, the two followed Makoto.

Minako and Ami attempted to grab Makoto, but they barely touched her. "Makoto, why won't you think this through?" Ami called. "I am thinking this through," Makoto answered. "As one of her protectors, I'm going to make sure she's okay. I know there may be some kind of trap, but I know we can overcome anything that stands in our way." Ami and Minako became silent. If Makoto was that content, they only hoped that she knew where she was going.

* * *

Haruka stopped the car abruptly. She looked out the window frantically. "What are you looking for?" an annoyed Setsuna asked.

"Can't you feel her?"

"Feel who?" Michiru asked. " Hotaru. She's here somewhere," Haruka said as she left the car. Michiru and Setsuna followed her.

_Closer, everyone. You're almost there…_

Haruka smiled. It was Hotaru's voice. "I'll get her back," she said. "Just watch me." Setsuna groaned with frustration. "Your attitude said the same thing, but you almost died!" she reminded. Haruka ignored her. Images of Hotaru flooded her mind. When this was over, she, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru would be a family again. Everything would be the way they were before.

_Haruka-papa…I'm waiting for you…_

'I'm coming for you, hime-chan,' Haruka thought with certainty. Soon, the three came to a stop when they saw Rei on the ground. She was on her knees. Her head was down. That woman was standing before her. The Moonlight Knight had Usagi in his arms. She was unconscious. Lastly, there was a man on the ground. He, too, was unconscious.

The woman looked at them with a smirk. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she asked. Rei looked behind her. "Did someone call for help?" the woman asked. Rei turned back to her. "No, I didn't, Eris!" she exclaimed. Her voice was filled with desperation. "Since when does she have a name?" Haruka whispered to Michiru. The aqua-haired woman shrugged.

"Hotaru, did she call for help?"

Haruka looked around frantically. "Hotaru, where are you?!" she yelled.

"She did, my mistress, I saw her myself."

Eris tilted her head at Rei with amusement. "She's lying!" the girl screamed. "You and I both know I did no such thing!" Eris frowned. Rei was right about that. Her smirk came back almost instantly. "I'm in a killing mood, so I might as well kill him now." Rei screamed her lungs out, pleading the evil woman not to kill the man against the tree. He was starting to awaken. With that, Eris pointed at him. A red beam pierced his head.

At first, his eyes were widened. Seconds later, he closed them and relaxed. Rei shed tears as she stared at the lifeless man that was once her father. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't find the will to. "Oh, Rei-chan, I thought hated him," Eris playfully frowned. "I only did you a favor." Rei shook her head. This wasn't real. It couldn't have been.

"Breathe, Rei-chan. You'll feel better when you do."

Rei thought about it and inhaled. She didn't feel better. "Why!?" she screamed. "Why would you do that!?" Hearing the anguish in her friend's voice, Usagi woke up with a start. She looked around her, trying to find Rei. Once her eyes locked on to her target, she jumped out of the Moonlight Knight's arms and ran over to Rei. She tried to calm the crying girl down. However, simple words couldn't reach her. Rage and pain was taking over her body. Now, she was deciding who should take the blame.

* * *

Makoto stopped after endless running. "You have no idea where we're going," Minako panted. "Okay, so maybe we should have waited for Usagi and Rei," Makoto admitted. "We can't stop now," Ami said. "I have a feeling that we're close to them." She pointed to Haruka's car. It was all the way down the street.

Makoto grinned at Minako. "I knew where I was going the whole time." Minako rolled her eyes. They caught their breath for a few minutes before they ran to Haruka's car. Hopefully, the Outers were with Rei and Usagi.

* * *

"It's Haruka-tachi's fault. If they hadn't come, I wouldn't have killed him."

Haruka laughed. "Trying to take advantage of Rei's anger, huh? She won't give into you." Michiru poked Haruka when Rei stood up and glared at the three. "I think she just did," she whispered. Haruka stopped laughing and jumped behind Setsuna. "Whoa, she's scary when she's angry," she muttered. "Haruka, now is not the time to act cowardly," Setsuna stated. "Right!" Haruka agreed as she walked up to Rei. "Now isn't the time act with like an idiot either!" Michiru yelled.

"Rei, I know you know that we didn't do a thing," Haruka sighed. Rei grabbed Haruka's throat with a flaming hand. "Hot, hot, hot!" the blonde screamed. Usagi gasped. She pulled the raven-haired girl away. Haruka grabbed her throat. She surprised that it wasn't burned. Maybe part of Rei didn't want her hurt. "Rei, please don't hurt anyone," Usagi pleaded. "No one is to blame for this."

Rei slapped Usagi, causing her to fall to the ground. "Shut up!" she shouted. "You wouldn't understand a thing! When something like this happens to you, then we can talk!" Eris grinned, "Maybe I should go kill her family right now." Rei looked at her and smirked. "That's a great idea." Usagi's eyes widened. Tears filled them. "Rei…"

"She won't listen to you anymore," Eris explained. Usagi wouldn't accept that. "Rei, I know you didn't mean to do that. You're angry; you're sad. No one understands what you're going through. I can't say that I want to experience what you go through, but I want to share that pain with you. Then, you'll have a shoulder to cry on. I want to be there for you."

Eris groaned when she saw the look on Rei's face. Her rage had vanished from her features. "This sucks. Let's go, everyone." She, the Moonlight Knight, and Saturn disappeared. The flames disappeared from Rei's hands as she helped Usagi up. She hooked her arm around the blonde's waist and caressed her cheek. "If you meant that, then kiss me. Say you love me with all your heart."

Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but then she heard someone call her name. "Usako!"

Usagi turned around and gasped. Rei's jaw dropped. Setsuna raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What the hell!?" Rei screamed. "I killed you!"

"What!?"

Michiru and Haruka noticed that they weren't the only ones who were surprised. The three girls had finally arrived. Rei watched Mamoru embrace Usagi. "I know you did," he finally said as he looked at her, "I'm glad you did. The enemy used my body. I don't even know exactly what happened. Anything I did before, I don't remember."

Rei noticed the uneasiness of Usagi. "I didn't do anything to you, did I?" Mamoru asked the blonde. Usagi put on a smile and shook her head. "It was like you were there the whole time." Mamoru frowned slightly. He saw something in her eyes that told him the opposite of what she said. "Then, why exactly did Rei kill me?"

"I noticed something evil about you," Rei interjected. "I guessed you were with the enemy so I did what I had to do." Mamoru nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Thank you, Rei. You really saved me." Rei smiled slightly with a nod.

The others looked at each other with worry and confusion. A serious talk was needed.

* * *

Everyone, except Usagi and Mamoru, had gone back to the jinja. Mamoru wanted to talk to Usagi about things that happened during his absence. That made Rei very uneasy. Even though there were no traces of evil, she was still worried.

Eyes were directed at her, but her gaze remained on the floor. Confusion, sympathy, and worry filled everyone's mind. When Rei looked up, she saw Setsuna's red eyes first. The woman smiled at her slightly, reassuring her that everything would be okay. Rei knew she wanted her to explain. She thought about it for a few more minutes. The others had a right to know about this. For now, though, they would only know half of the truth.

"What you all heard was true. I killed Mamoru a few weeks ago." Her gaze turned to Haruka and Michiru's shocked expression. "That's why Setsuna came here. She noticed the big amount of power I released." Then, she turned to Makoto, Ami, and Minako. "I killed him a few minutes before you came. That was why I had blood on my hand."

"And you killed him in front of Usagi?" Minako asked. Rei nodded. "I know it may seem unlike me, but I enjoyed killing him. It made me happy, and I don't regret doing it."

"Why did you kill him?" Makoto asked. Rei smiled. "You don't believe what I said before?" The brunette shook her head. Rei's smile disappeared as she looked at the floor. "I can't tell you. I promised I wouldn't."

Rei stood up and excused herself. She went to the back and picked up her bow. She grabbed an arrow and aimed for the picture of Mamoru.

* * *

"So close, yet so far."

"At least we made some progress."

"He's right."

"Mmm…I guess. No mater, I guess we should get this plan started."

"Finally!"

"So, who'd like to go first?"

"I would! I've been waiting for so long!"

"Well, wait just a little longer. Strike when the time is right."

"Of course."

* * *

Mamoru and Usagi stopped at the steps of the jinja. Mamoru was still uncertain about this. "Are you sure that's what happened?" he asked. Usagi nodded. "I feel like you're leaving something out." Usagi shook her head as she took his hand in hers. "I told you everything that happened," she smiled. She guided him up the steps. Then, something hit her. "Where did you come from?"

"I woke up in the bushes where Rei hid my body."

Usagi stopped for a moment and looked at Mamoru from head to toe. To put it simply, he was a mess. Then, she continued up the steps. They heard whispers when they got to the top.

"It's official, guys. Rei has finally lost it."

"Haruka, Rei's been through a lot. You shouldn't criticize her."

"But she enjoyed it! Coming from her, that's just scary."

"This isn't right. We shouldn't talk about Rei behind her back."

"But still, she's becoming scarier than Setsuna when she stares at you with those big, red eyes, and that is scary."

"I hope you know I'm only a few feet away from you, Haruka."

"…heh heh…I was only kidding…."

Usagi heard Haruka's yelps along with objects being thrown across the room. Minutes later, Setsuna seemed to be hyperventilating. "I know where you sleep!" she screamed. "And I know where you read!" Haruka shot back. "Nice come back, Haruka-san," Makoto quipped. Usagi entered the room with Mamoru and saw Haruka with a lump on her head. Makoto and Minako held Setsuna back as she tried to jump Haruka. She shook them off and summoned her Garnet Rod.

"Not here, Setsuna!" Michiru exclaimed. Setsuna didn't listen. She hit Haruka on the head very hard. Haruka saw stars. "Every Tuesday…is Apple Sauce Day." Then, she fell to the floor. "That'll teach you to talk about my eyes," Setsuna growled. The room was quiet. They heard footsteps getting louder. Eventually, Rei entered the room.

She looked at the Garnet Rod, Haruka, and then Mamoru. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Avoid temptation, avoid temptation," she muttered. Makoto and Minako laughed when they saw the look on Mamoru's face. Ami was happy Rei didn't do anything. Then, the phone rang.

The raven-haired girl grabbed the phone with a sigh and answered it. However, the caller wasn't the person she expected.

"Hey, Rei. I know I didn't pick you up today. You'll probably think I put my job before you again, but I was dragged to another meeting. So, I was thinking of taking you out next Saturday. How does that sound?"

Rei was speechless. It was his voice. But hadn't he…

"Rei? Are you there?"

How could this be?

---End Chapter Eight---

_Was it really Rei's father on the phone or just an imposter? How will Usagi deal with Mamoru's presence? When Eris' plan begins, what will be lost? Til next time_

_Serenity101_

_P.S. If the end was a little too comical, my apologies. I couldn't resist :)_


	9. Chapter 9

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I don't even own the title for this chapter.

Chapter Nine

"Rei? Are you there?"

"Y-yeah," Rei stuttered.

"Then, how does next Saturday sound?"

"Great."

"Alright. See you soon."

Rei hung up and looked at each of her friends. She was very confused. "What's wrong, Rei?" Michiru asked. "N-nothing," Rei murmured. "I just feel a little light-headed." She left the room hastily. Usagi was going to go after her, but Setsuna stopped her. "She's not going anywhere," she sighed. "She just needs to clear her head." Usagi gave the older woman a pleading look, but she shook her head. Usagi sighed in defeat.

Maybe she needed to let Rei have her space. Then, Rei would come to her on her own.

* * *

Rei sat on the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest as a feeling took over her body. It was a mix of shock and relief. Was her father really alive? But she had seen him die! How could that have been him? It confused her – this was impossible! Ordinary people only had one life. Rei, however, had many. She could die now, and wake up and act like nothing happened.

She groaned to herself. She didn't want to face this. Everything was coming at her all at once. She eyed her the arrow stuck to the target. It was tempting. She could start life anew. Maybe this would be over when she woke up again. Her mind quarreled with itself; she was beginning to think it was a good idea. 'Don't do it…don't do it…do it…do it…'

"Usagi!"

Rei's common sense got the better of her. She still needed to know if Usagi meant what she said earlier. She closed her eyes as she listened to the footsteps get louder. She stayed still for a few more moments. She was still deciding what topic to bring up first. Should she talk about the phone call, Mamoru, Minako's knowledge of their lie, or the statement Usagi made?

Rei opened her eyes, finding Usagi sitting next to her. She was in the same position as she was. Her blue eyes stared at her, waiting for her to say something. "So…what are you going to do now?" Rei asked. "Are you going to act like nothing happened between you and him?" Usagi shrugged with a sigh. "I guess. I don't really like thinking about it," she answered. "Lying seems to be the only thing I can do." Rei grinned. "The great Tsukino Usagi being dishonest? What would the others think?"

Usagi playfully hit her friend's arm. She began pouting and saying how she was no help. The raven-haired girl had a way to help, but it involved her leaving Mamoru. She wanted to say it but decided against it. Instead, she moved on to the next topic. "While you were gone, I told the others that I killed Mamoru." Rei smiled as she stroked the blonde's head. Her face was filled with shock. "I didn't tell them why, though. I'm not that stupid, you know." Usagi calmed down and let out a sigh of relief. "Minako knew that you and I lied before," Rei continued. "Apparently, you gave us away." Usagi's jaw dropped with hurt. How had she been blamed so quickly?

Rei put her arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry. She would've found out sooner or later." When Usagi agreed with a shrug, Rei said, "Usagi…you meant what you said…right?"

* * *

It was getting late. Everyone decided to part. Haruka, now awake, rushed to the car to avoid Setsuna's deadly glare. Michiru shook her head when Setsuna grinned. Minako walked with Makoto and Ami until they got the bottom of the steps. Mamoru remained at the jinja. He wanted to wait for Usagi. There were still questions he wanted to ask. He stayed in the same place for a few minutes. She never came. He sighed and went to the back.

Rei and Usagi were not there.

Mamoru took a few steps back and looked up at the roof. They stared into the sky together. Usagi sat between Rei's legs while Rei had her arms around the blonde's waist. It looked like they were smiling. A feeling within him grew. He grinned at himself. Was he jealous? What reason was there to be jealous? It was normal for friends to be that close. Besides, he and Usagi would have all the time in the world to be together. He decided to wait a little longer. Usagi would have come down soon.

Ami lied down next to Makoto. She sighed as she rested her head on Makoto's chest. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen soon. "Makoto?" The brunette put her arm around the blue-haired girl, urging her to continue. "Do you think we'll survive this?"

"Survive what?"

"The situation we're in," Ami said. "This battle seems like there will be horrible outcome." Makoto shrugged. "Even so, I'm sure we'll get through it." She kissed Ami's head and told her to get some sleep. Ami refused, saying the brunette was trying to avoid the conversation. Makoto sighed and opened her eyes. "Think about it, Ami. Everything is revolving around Rei. Because she's becoming sensitive, the enemy may go after someone who would be a weak spot for Rei. We may die, but we have another life to live so we have to come back again and again. And in each life, I'll come back to you."

Ami smiled. That was all she needed to hear. She kissed Makoto's chin and closed her eyes. "I love you, Makoto."

* * *

Rei was surprised when she found Mamoru sitting on the steps. He had never left. She stood next to him but didn't look at him when he looked up. "What are you still doing here?" she asked, colder than intended. "I'm waiting for my Usako. Is that all right with you?" he asked. Rei apologized for her tone. "I didn't mean it that way," she explained. "I only meant that it's late. Aren't you tired?" Mamoru shook his head. "Where is she?"

Rei looked at him as she pointed to her room. "She fell asleep." Mamoru chuckled, "Then I should go." He stood to his feet and smiled at the shorter girl. "Good night, Rei." Rei bid him farewell and watched him leave. Then, she went to her room. Usagi was on her bed, sleeping soundly and lying on her back. Her hands were next to her sleeping face. Her legs were spread across the bed with the blanket on her abdomen.

"Sleep with me."

Rei blinked at the sound of the girl's voice. She blushed at the way her statement sounded. "Make me feel safe." Usagi opened her eyes and looked at her. "Please." As her friend walked to the bed, she moved over, leaving space. A smile graced her face when Rei lied down beside her. "What if Mamoru sees us like this tomorrow?" Rei asked. Usagi snuggled closer with a sigh. "I'll think of that when the time comes." She kissed Rei's cheek. She was dangerously close to her lips. "Goodnight, Rei-chan."

"Kiss me if you want. I don't mind."

At first, there was hesitation. Rei closed her eyes when Usagi didn't do anything. However, they opened again. She felt the blonde's soft lips against hers. Minutes passed by. It felt like an eternity. They pulled away, staring into each other's eyes. Rei moved in for another kiss, but Usagi stopped her. "I'm sorry, Rei," she said. "I shouldn't have…"

"I said I didn't mind. Being kissed by you means the world to me," Rei smiled. Usagi frowned. "I know, but…I can't say the words you want to hear. I'm caught between you and Mamoru and I can't say no to him. It wouldn't be fair to him if I just left. Besides, he and I have a destiny to fulfill." Rei's smile disappeared. She should have known there would have been a catch. Things were always that way. "You don't need him, Usagi. I'll be right next to you when you need me the most." Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but Rei continued. "Your future isn't set in stone. You don't have to be with him." The blonde shook her head. "But it just wouldn't be fair…"

"Nothing in life is ever fair, Usagi. But if you say you love me, I'll make that seem like a lie."

Usagi bit her lip. She snuggled closer to Rei so she wouldn't see her face. "Sorry, Rei-chan, but I just can't say it."

* * *

Goddesses should never be trusted. That was the number one rule of life. They were conniving and manipulative. Listening to them would get someone killed at one point in their life. However, that rule was being broken. This was going to be the most regretful day ever. The goddess Rei happened to trust at the moment was Minako, the goddess of love. Her smile wasn't convincingly innocent enough. She was waiting for her to say something she wanted to hear; something like 'I lied about an important relationship to my friends. Can you forgive me?' Rei wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"So, Rei-chan, what did you want to see me about?" Minako asked. Rei let out a slow breath. "Have you ever been in a love triangle?" Minako nodded a little. "Sort of." Damn. That smile was still there. Why wouldn't it leave? Rei was silent for a second. She was thinking of a way to say this. After a few minutes, Rei groaned. There was no subtle way of saying it. "Usagi kissed me last night and says that she can't say three words just because she's with Mamoru! Do you know how infuriating that is?" she asked.

"But you have to understand…"

"I understand that she doesn't even know her feelings towards me! I have been waiting for weeks. I'm trying to be patient but…."

"You should leave her alone. Let her straighten out all of her problems. It sounds like you're trying to rush her. She just needs some time to decide." Minako embraced her friend with a sigh. "I'm sure she'll choose you in the end."

* * *

With their fingers intertwined, Mamoru and Usagi gazed into each other's eyes. However, Mamoru wore a frown. There was something Usagi wouldn't tell him. He just knew it. Though she seemed convincing, her eyes gave it away. Behind the smiles were looks of fear. With the touches they shared, the blonde cringed slightly. It was almost unnoticeable, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when Usagi was uncomfortable in any way. He knew when she was truly happy. He knew when she was sad. With their unbreakable bond, he knew everything about her. Right now, he knew she was lying to him.

"Usako," he finally sighed. "Please, trust me. I know that you're keeping something from me. No matter how bad you think the problem may be, I will never leave you." Usagi shook her head with a fake smile. "I know you won't, but I'm serious. There's nothing wrong, and you did nothing." The black-haired man sighed again. He couldn't believe she was lying to him. "Usagi, I'm not blind nor am I stupid," he stated. "We have a bond that can't be broken. I know when something's wrong. Please, Usako, tell me what's wrong."

Usagi was quiet as she looked at the ground. Recalling that moment made tears fall from her eyes. She laughed. Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders. He asked why she was crying and laughing. "I'm laughing because I keep lying to you as if everything is okay," she answered. "I'm crying because of what you did to me." Mamoru asked what he did. As expected, the blonde didn't answer. "You wouldn't be able to make things better anyway so…just drop it." Mamoru ran his fingers through his hair. He did something to his Usako. He had to find out what. When he did, he would make everything better if he could. Everything would be like they were.

* * *

Rei watched the others study. Ami and Makoto were doing just that. Minako was apparently reading her manga. Usagi had fallen asleep. The blonde's head was on her lap. She played with her hair and was careful not to wake up her sleeping beauty. Everything was quiet. Rei sighed as she lied on her back. She was finally at peace for a change. The only thing on her mind was her princess. Nothing could ruin this quiet moment. However, that was never a proven fact. The door opened. Rei sat up and the girls turned around. Usagi didn't stir. It just happened to be Mamoru.

"Makoto, Ami, Minako, can I talk to you about something?" he asked nervously. He glanced at Rei for a moment but avoided her gaze. The three girls left the room with him. After a few moments, Rei sighed again. "We should eavesdrop." Rei looked at Usagi. Her eyes were open. "You were up the whole time?" Rei grinned. Usagi shook her head as she sat up. She rubbed her eyes and went to the door. She opened it quietly and left the room. With her friend behind her, she watched the others.

"Do you know anything about what happened to Usako when my body was used by the enemy?"

Makoto looked to Ami. They shrugged. They looked to Minako. She shrugged as well. As he continued, it was obvious that he was distressed. His voice sounded frantic. Every five minutes, he ruffled his hair. It became so messy, Minako couldn't take it. "Mamoru, calm down!" she yelled. The other three winced. Mamoru put his hands in his pockets, hoping Minako wouldn't yell again. "You came to us to ask us about Usagi-chan, right?" she asked. He nodded. "You think she's keeping something from you, right?" He nodded again. "I know she is." Ami sighed. That meant Usagi was keeping something from _them_ too. The black-haired man gazed at the ground and kicked a pebble. He looked like he was guilty of something. "She said that I…did something to her…"

Makoto punched Mamoru so hard, he fell to the ground. Both Ami and Minako tried to restrain her, but she slipped from their grasp and straddled the man. She punched him again and again. "What the fuck did you do to her!" she screamed. Usagi ran over to the angry brunette and tried to restrain her with the help of Ami and Minako. They pulled, but the girl wouldn't budge. Rei sighed. She walked over to them and crouched next to Mamoru's face. She gave Makoto one good push. Just like that, the girl was pulled to her feet and was dragged away from Mamoru. She swore uncontrollably, asking Usagi what he did. Rei shook her head. "You better hope you can spontaneously combust," she said. "If I ever see lay a hand on her again, I won't hesitate to kill you again."

"That's why you killed me? Because of what I did?"

"Good boy. You're not as stupid as you look after all."

She stood up and left him. He sat up and touched his nose lightly. Wincing at the pain, he knew it was broken. He knew for a fact he had a black eye. This was just his luck. He did find out one thing. He knew Rei knew of what he did to Usagi. The hate in her voice had made that clear. He rubbed his jaw. He had to avoid being on Makoto's bad side. She was officially dangerous to his health. Then, Usagi tried to help him up. He let her. Wiping himself clean, he sighed. "I don't think I should come back for a while."

"What did Rei tell you?" Usagi asked. "She said she would kill me if I ever touched you again," he answered. They both looked at Rei. She was glaring at him. Soon, she went to her room. "You told her, didn't you?" Mamoru asked. "You told her what I did yet you can't tell me?" Usagi shook her head. She explained that he was wrong. "I didn't tell her." Mamoru nodded as he put his hands on his hips. "Then how does she know?"

"She found out. We were supposed to keep it a secret, but you had to make the others involved," Usagi said. She glared at him. It wasn't like Rei's stare of hate, though. "Before you know it, the others will find out, too," she continued. "Then Haruka will come after you. No one is hesitant to hurt you anymore, Mamoru. There's no more respect for you. You can't be near me and think everything will be okay from that moment on. Remember that."

* * *

"And that's how we get Hotaru back."

Setsuna and Michiru yawned as the trio walked up the steps of the jinja. They had been up all night, listening to Haruka's ideas and plans. The blonde just wouldn't stop talking. Because of her, the two looked like hell. Their eyes were red, and they had bags under them. It wasn't a pretty sight. Haruka, however, looked the exact opposite. She must have had the good night sleep the other two were deprived of. "Are you even listening to me?" she asked. "I don't know about Michiru, but I stopped listening after the first few words," the green-haired woman sighed. Haruka frowned. Michiru held her hand and gave her a peck on the cheek. "We know you want Hotaru to back, Haruka, but you should just wait until we see her again," she smiled. "Then, we'll get her back for sure." Haruka smiled and ran up the rest of the steps with her lover.

They stopped in front Rei's door and waited for Setsuna. When their friend caught up, Haruka opened the door. Makoto, Minako, Usagi, and Rei did not acknowledge them. However, Ami looked up but then looked away. It was as if they were almost invisible. Haruka scratched her head. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Silence continued for five minutes until Haruka sighed with frustration. "Guys, WAKE UP!" she yelled. When no one looked up, she continued, "Rei, you're supposed to ask why we came unannounced. Makoto, Minako, you're supposed to laugh at how bad Michiru and Setsuna look. Ami, you're supposed to scold them. Usagi, you're supposed to make some sort of comment, read manga, or both."

Michiru hit Haruka for the second comment. All Setsuna had to do was glare at her. Haruka laughed nervously and apologized. "I told you already. Your eyes are beautiful. I was only joking." Then, getting serious again, she kneeled beside Makoto. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on Rei and Usagi. She looked furious. The blonde waved her hand in her friend's face. Makoto suddenly gripped her wrist tightly. "What?" she asked venomously. She never looked at the blonde. Haruka gulped. She had never seen Makoto so mad before. "N-n-never mind." Makoto released her wrist and prompted her to hide behind Setsuna. Putting her hands on her hips, Michiru sighed, "Guys, why are you acting this way?" Ami shook her head. "Now's not a great time to discuss Hotaru," she said softly. "How did you know we were gonna talk about that?" Haruka asked. "We heard you outside," Ami sighed.

The blonde became serious and stood beside Setsuna. "It was that quiet in here?" Ami nodded. "What's everyone doing here? It's getting kind of late." Usagi stood up and tried to leave, but Makoto got in her way. "Mako-chan, please leave me alone," the shorter girl muttered. "Nothing happened."

"That's another lie, isn't it?" Makoto asked. "What else have you been lying about? Your relationship with Rei perhaps?" Haruka's jaw dropped. Usagi? A liar? That didn't sound like Usagi at all. What she had said about Rei at first sounded as though it were true. The last time she said her feelings, she showed real love. Were all those words just a lie? Usagi tried to walk by Makoto, but she stood in her way. "Usagi, what's going on?" Michiru asked. "Nothing, Michiru-san," Usagi smiled. "It's nothing."

"Dammit, Usagi, stop lying!" Minako yelled. "This is unlike you! It's like you're not you anymore!" The other blonde shook her head. "You're talking crazy, Minako-chan. I haven't changed at all." She looked into Makoto's eyes deeply. "Please, Mako-chan, let me go. I need to think." Makoto began laughing. "Think about what?" With her eyes closed, Rei sighed, "Leave her alone, Makoto."

"Are you going to think of the next lie to tell the rest of us? Are you going to think about what you're going to keep from us?"

Usagi put her head on Makoto's chest. "I could do that, but that would make me an idiot," she sighed. Looking in Rei's direction, Makoto said, "And what about you, Rei? If Usagi's been keeping things from us, I bet she has already told you something. Apparently, you killed Mamoru for a reason. That reason was Usagi, right?" Rei opened her eyes slowly. She inwardly grinned. After this, everyone would leave. Her room had become overpopulated. "Makoto, have you ever lied before?" she asked. Makoto nodded slowly. "If that's so, then why do you make it seem like Usagi and I are the only ones who ever have?" Makoto didn't answer. Rei had a point. She apologized to both Usagi and Rei. The other two did as well.

Haruka, Setsuna, and Michiru, though, didn't really have anything to say. They never did anything in the first place. "We'll come back in the morning. See you later," Haruka said hurriedly. She grabbed the two next to her and sped off. Three down, three to go. "Maybe we should go, too," Ami mumbled. "We're really sorry, Usagi…"

"It's okay. It doesn't matter," Usagi smiled. She and Rei watched the three leave quietly. After a few minutes, Rei frowned. There was a sudden shift in the room. "Usagi, come here for a second." Usagi didn't move at first. She took a deep breath and exhaled all the air she had stored in her lungs. She turned around, showing the tears that were in her eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore," she whispered. "Everyone thinks I want to lie to them. They think I'm doing this just to be selfish. But I'm not. I don't want to lie anymore…but…" The girl ran into Rei's arms and sobbed. The raven-haired girl kissed her temple.

"If it'll make you happy, I'll kill him again."

Usagi gazed into Rei's eyes. As usual, she was serious. Her eyes never lied. "It was his fault for making this happen in the first place. You never lied before he came back." Usagi wanted to agree. Rei did have a point.

"So, will you be happy again?"

"You're enough to make me happy."

* * *

Ami frowned as she held Makoto's hand. She, Makoto, and Minako walked down the steps of the jinja. They all felt guilty. "She lied to us again," she said quietly. "She said it didn't matter when it did. We shouldn't have made her feel guilty like that." Minako made a small sound in agreement. Makoto was silent all together. Her anger had gotten the best of her. If she had thought rationally, she wouldn't have made Usagi feel bad. Usagi was human; just like everyone else. She wasn't perfect. No one ever was. Makoto bit her bottom lip subtly. She hated herself for making Usagi the one who was at fault.

When they got to the bottom of the steps, they found Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna. Haruka stopped the three, who guessed the Outers had waited for them. She probably wanted to know what was going on. "What the hell was that?" she asked. "First, you stare at Rei and Usagi like they did something wrong. Then, you get mad at Usagi. What was that about?" Makoto walked passed her with Ami close behind. She didn't want to talk about it. Only Minako remained. She scratched her head and sighed. "You shouldn't ask us," she said. "You should talk to Usagi if she's willing to tell you what happened." Then, she bid Haruka farewell and walked down the street.

Haruka sighed. These girls were becoming more secretive than ever.

Usagi sighed. The sun was beginning to rise. The sky was mostly blue, though there was still a little bit of pink left in the distance. Usually, she would still be in bed. However, today was different. She decided she would head home. She had stayed with Rei because she needed her. Rei was the only one who could help her to get over her fear. There were times where she was couldn't stop thinking of that moment with Mamoru. Gradually, there were times where she was truly happy. For a little while, she enjoyed those times. She didn't have to lie just to put a smile on everyone's face. That's what she enjoyed the most. Now, though, she had to leave. This time, Rei wouldn't be by her side all the time.

"Hey, Odango Atama."

Usagi jumped when she heard Rei call her. The raven-haired girl was irritated. She had been calling her for the last three minutes. "Yeah?" Rei sighed as a smile appeared on her face. "Once you wash it, give the shirt back, okay?" Usagi giggled with a nod. Rei held out her hand. The other girl looked at it for a moment. Then, she grasped it. The two walked down the steps. "Thanks for letting me stay with you," Usagi said. "Don't mention it, Usagi. I was only doing what anyone else would have done." When they were at the bottom, Usagi said, "Please, Rei, go back to school soon, okay? You've missed a lot of things, you know." Rei nodded. There was silence between them for a little while. Usagi surprised Rei when she suddenly embraced her. "Thank you, Rei. I mean it."

"It was nothing," the taller girl smiled. "Now go. I'm sure your parents will be happy to see you." Usagi gave her a peck on the cheek and said her goodbyes. Then, she ran down the street. Rei laughed a little at her energy. However, when she turned around, her mood changed. "So, what do you want?"

* * *

"Is it time, my mistress?"

"Yes. Have fun."

-End Chapter Nine-

Now that Usagi's going home, will things get better? Who was Rei talking to? And what is Eris planning? Stay tuned for more. Til next time

Serenity101


	10. The Second Act: Chapter 10

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

_A/N: Hellz yeah! This is my second update this week! I'm on a roll! Maybe things are starting to look up for my updates of joy and I. I only wish I were able to update THREE times a week. Heh, that only happens with web comic updates…anyway, read on, minna-sama!_

The Second Act - Chapter Ten

"So, what do you want?"

Before Rei was Hotaru. She had a grin on her face, and Rei despised it. It wasn't like Hotaru to never grin like that. She always wore a pure, innocent, genuine smile. That grin was a constant reminder that she was the enemy. "Well, Rei, I only came here to tell you that a part of you will die," Hotaru explained simply. She put her hands behind her back. "Do you think you can watch me kill someone today?"

Rei stared at the girl with confusion and anger, her eyebrow beginning to twitch. "Hotaru, why are you giving up so easily?" she asked. "Why are you letting this happen to you?" Hotaru tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Rei suddenly pulled her up the steps of the jinja. When they were at the top, Hotaru didn't have anytime to react for what came next.

"Akuryo Taisen!"

* * *

Being bombarded by two people wasn't really Usagi's idea of fun – it was actually downright painful. It was like being squeezed into a hug by Makoto. Apparently, Ikuko and Kenji had some kind of strength tucked away somewhere that Usagi didn't know about.

"Usagi, did something happen to you?" Ikuko asked as she tore herself from her daughter. Usagi shook her head. "No. Why?" Kenji looked at her quizzically. "You weren't home for weeks. There had to be something wrong," he answered. Usagi dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "If you're worried about school, I do most of the homework," she smiled. She walked towards the stairs when Kenji called her. She stopped for a moment, wondering if she should turn around and face him or just keep going. When Kenji called her again, she stood still.

"This isn't about your studies. We want to know what's going on with you."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Usagi, you left us without warning. Tell us what's wrong. As your parents we want to help you with whatever your going through."

Usagi glared at him and her mother. "I said I didn't want to talk about it!" she yelled. "You think I can tell you anything like that'll help? You wouldn't understand, so just shut up and leave me alone!" She went up the stairs. At the top, Shingo stared at her as if she were stupid. "Dumb Usagi, they'll ground you forever at you at this rate," he sighed.

"Shut up, Shingo!" Usagi shouted. "If you really want that much attention, ask! Do _not_ mess with me." She went into her room and slammed the door behind her. She slid down to the floor and watched Luna walk towards her. She asked where the blonde had been. Usagi never answered. She never expected this to happen. She hadn't meant to yell or get anyone upset. Why did Ikuko and Kenji have to pry like that? Thinking of that unforgettable moment stressed her out already. Imagining Kenji finding out scared her to death. Mamoru changed, and she remembered that. Even though seeing him made her uneasy, he didn't deserve any pain he received.

"Tsukino Usagi, get back down here this instant!"

Usagi looked at Luna with a sigh. "The enemy knows everyone," she said. "She knows the people we love because of that. I just told my parents off and I screamed at my brother after putting up with his crap for years. I think it's time." Luna's eyes widened. She shook her head rapidly, telling Usagi to reconsider.

"TSUKINO USAGI!"

"My life is already screwed up, Luna," Usagi continued. "My best friend is in love with me, Mamoru is a damsel in distress, and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm supposed to be the damn leader, and I don't know what to do." She heard the footsteps come up the stairs. She got up and lifted her brooch from her dresser. When the door opened, she put her head down.

"Tsukino Usagi, who do you think you are?" Ikuko asked. "I brought you into this world, and I can definitely take you out of it." Usagi giggled without meaning to. She bit her lip to stop herself, but that didn't help. "Sorry, continue."

"Tsukino Usagi, what exactly is so funny?" Kenji asked as he sat on her bed. "Before your punishment, humor me."

"If mama tried to kill me, it wouldn't matter. I would come back."

Both parents blinked. What was that supposed to mean? Not really wanting to know, Kenji announced, "You, Tsukino Usagi, are grounded. You _will_ make an effort to get higher grades; you will no longer read manga; you will only eat three meals a day; and you will not leave this room. Do you understand me?" Usagi shook her head. "And why is that?"

Usagi faced both parents. She noticed Shingo standing outside the door. She held up her brooch. "What's that?" he asked softly. Usagi smiled at his curiosity. "I am the Pretty Soldier, Sailor Moon…" Shingo's jaw dropped. "No way."

"In the name of the Moon, I will punish you."

* * *

Eyes darted from one body part to another as shock filled the Senshi of Time's face. She couldn't believe this was all it took. If this were done earlier, this wouldn't have been so complicated. Rei sighed as she sat at Hotaru's feet, silence remaining dominant in the room. The miko stared at both the older woman and the younger girl. She wondered if Hotaru…the real Hotaru would take this opportunity to regain control of her body.

"I'm assuming Haruka and Michiru are asleep at this hour," Rei sighed. Setsuna nodded. "Do you think she'll be the same as before?" Rei asked. Setsuna leaned against the wall. She thought about her answer and sighed. "Usually, your ofuda only paralyzes enemies. Maybe something's happening inside of Hotaru."

"Internal conflict is the dilemma facing the character inside and its impact on that character," Rei recited with her eyes closed. She opened them and noticed the look Setsuna was giving her. "I haven't gone to school in a while. I have to know something when I go back." The green-haired woman couldn't help but laugh. Rei cracked a smile even though she was being serious. "Well, Rei, at least you seem enthusiastic about going back to school."

"That's bad. School is evil."

Rei and Setsuna's eyes went back to Hotaru. She was looking up at the ceiling. "How long have I been out?"

"About an hour."

Hotaru made a small sound with a slight nod. She sat up and scratched her head and turned to Setsuna. "I hurt someone – I just know I did…but I don't know who. I can't remember anything at all. Please tell me who it was." Setsuna looked at Rei. Her features showed indifference. She looked back to Hotaru and sat beside her. "It was Haruka. She's already healed, so don't worry," she replied with a slight smile. "Besides, she knows her little Hotaru would never do anything to hurt her papa." Hotaru smiled back and embraced her.

"Aw, how touching."

Setsuna glared at Rei. The raven-haired girl apologized for the sudden statement. She left the room, taking her communicator with her.

* * *

Usagi sat in the living room with Luna on her lap. The cat purred as the blonde scratched the cat's ear and stared into space. Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo sat across from her. They were in total shock. They couldn't believe their Usagi was the Sailor Moon. The clumsy girl they once knew almost vanished because of this? She didn't mature because of her age and growing responsibilities as a teenager transitioning into an adult? This was all because she was Sailor Moon?

"You were the one who told me to like Luna a few years ago?" Shingo asked.

"Yeah."

"You snuck out to who knows where in the middle of the night?" Kenji sighed.

"On some occasions."

"You haven't done anything…careless, have you?" Ikuko spoke softly. Usagi suddenly giggled. She couldn't answer the question without a smile on her face. She wondered why she felt so giddy. Maybe telling her family something important made her happy. The weight that had been on her shoulders for years was finally lifted. It was finally nice to smile carelessly like she used to.

"Depends on what you mean by careless."

Ikuko opened her mouth, but she didn't have the chance to speak. Luna's ear twitched. She heard something faint. "Communicator, Usagi," she purred. Usagi excused herself as the remaining three stared at Luna. A talking cat would definitely be something to get used to.

Meanwhile, Usagi found her communicator on the dresser. She answered it and saw Rei. "I need you at the jinja. It's important." Usagi frowned. She was doing something important, too. "Kind of having a talk with my family?" she asked. "Can't it wait?"

"Of course it can't! I wouldn't have called if it could!" Rei fumed. "You make it seem like everything that happens to you is important, but when I need to do something, it's just irrelevant," Usagi mumbled. The miko sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked away. "Just make sure you get here in half an hour," she said. The transmission ended. Usagi sighed. She had just left the jinja! What else could be happening?

"So, are you and Rei getting back together again?"

Usagi noticed Luna jump on the bed. She glanced at the mirror and saw that the door was open. She also saw her parents and Shingo trying to eavesdrop from outside the room. Turning her attention back to Luna, she spoke, "What? No. Rei needed me for something else." Luna gasped. "You got that far? You're a sly one, aren't you?" she grinned. Usagi blushed as she shook her head rapidly. "We're not like that!"

"So, you guys are trying to be the innocent ones, huh?"

"No, Luna, we're just friends! That's all!"

Usagi sighed as she collapsed on her bed. She really didn't know what to do. Rei needed her for some reason, and she was supposed to be in the middle of a discussion with her parents. On top of that, Rei had given her a time limit. That was just perfect.

"Just go."

Usagi sat up to see Shingo leaning on the wall. "If it's really that important, you can go." He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs up. Usagi returned it with a grin. She ran out of her room, nearly knocking down Ikuko and Kenji, and rushed out the house.

* * *

Hotaru stretched her limbs. Cracking sounds were heard here and there, and she loved it. She felt better than before. She had more energy, and it felt good. "Hey, did anything else happen?" she asked. "Like what?" Rei sighed as she lied on her bed. Hotaru shrugged as she scratched her head. "Anything that I did while I was…you know…"

"You became Haruka in your own way."

Setsuna felt Hotaru wrap her arms around her waist. "I said I didn't want to become Haruka-papa! Why did it happen?" she shuddered. Setsuna shook her head at Rei, who shrugged. "She asked the question. I only provided the answer." Setsuna rolled her eyes. She gave Hotaru a pat on the head, hoping the girl would calm down. It took a couple of minutes for her to regain her composure. "It won't happen again. It won't happen again," she muttered to herself. She took a deep breath and let it out. She broke away from Setsuna with a smile. "It's okay. I'm alright."

Rei saw the little girl Hotaru used to be in that smile. She closed her eyes at a job well done.

"I got here as fast as I could! I…"

All eyes went to the door. Usagi was leaning against it for a moment. She panted as she saw Hotaru. She looked at Rei and Setsuna. Rei sighed and closed her eyes again. Setsuna smiled and nodded. Turning to the youngest of the four, she began trembling. Hotaru smiled. "What? Are you really going to stand there or are you going to freak out and squeeze me to death?"

Usagi lunged toward the girl. Hotaru stopped smiling as she realized the danger of being hugged by Usagi. When the blonde embraced her, she lost her balance. She fell on Rei who felt really displeased. One plus one equals two. Hotaru plus Usagi equals pain. "Get off me!" she yelled. Usagi ignored her as she squeezed Hotaru. "Usagi, I'm very uncomfortable," the girl choked out. Usagi pulled away and apologized.

Setsuna laughed at the commotion. She ignored the shocked stare she got from Usagi. She only gazed at Hotaru. 'I finally have you back, my hime-chan.'

* * *

Haruka yawned as she opened her eyes slowly. She groaned as she turned around. She felt so tired, and she really wanted to get out of bed. She didn't understand the weird feeling, but that was how she felt. She looked over Michiru's sleeping form to see the clock. She groaned and shut her eyes.

"Stop it."

Haruka opened one eye with great disdain. She saw Michiru with her eyes closed. She was probably half asleep. "Stop what?" Haruka asked groggily. Michiru placed her index finger on her lips. Haruka got the hint, causing her to grumble to herself.

"Stop it, Haruka."

Haruka sat up and rubbed her eyes. She narrowed her eyes when she looked at her lover. Brushing the aqua hair aside, Haruka planted a kiss on her lips. Michiru pushed Haruka away and groaned. "Not now."

"But how am I supposed to make a lot of noise without getting you agitated?"

Michiru smiled. The thought was nice, but it didn't help the situation. She opened her eyes when she felt Haruka kiss her neck. "No sex," she sighed.

"Who said we would have sex?"

Michiru hooked her arms around the blonde racer's neck. She enjoyed the feeling of Haruka's soft lips on her skin. It made her sigh with bliss and run her fingers through Haruka's short hair. "I love you, Haruka."

For a moment, there was silence. Haruka propped herself on her elbows and gazed into Michiru's eyes. "I love you, too, Michiru," she whispered. She leaned in for a kiss until she heard the front door open. Haruka got of bed quickly with Michiru behind her. They left the room. After a few moments, they heard voices.

"Are you sure Haruka-papa is alright?"

"Hai, hime-chan. I checked her wounds already, and they're all gone."

Haruka and Michiru went wide-eyed. Their Hotaru was finally home? They rushed to the source of the voices. When their search ended in the living room, a short blur rushed towards them. It embraced Michiru first. She stumbled back but regained her balance. She looked down at the dark-haired girl clinging to her. She smiled as she looked at Haruka. Haruka was disbelieving. The blonde stared back at Setsuna. The woman stood there as if there was nothing different.

Hotaru tore herself from Michiru and stared at Haruka. She put her hands behind her back and fidgeted around. "I heard you were hell bent on trying to get me home…so I want to thank you," she murmured. She paused for a moment and looked down at the floor. She gained a smile when she looked up. "You're the coolest papa in the world." Haruka picked her up as if she were a feather. "I don't have to be the coolest papa in the world to want my hime-chan back home," she grinned.

Michiru walked towards Setsuna and whispered, "Is she really herself?" Setsuna nodded. "We owe it to Rei." Michiru gave her a curious look. Setsuna explained what happened, using Rei's exact words. Michiru sighed as she watched Haruka and Hotaru enjoy themselves. She really had to thank the miko. They all did.

* * *

It was finally after noon. Everyone had enough energy to trek to the Hikawa Jinja whether they wanted to or not. Since there was an actual emergency – or at least something senshi-related to talk about – Rei didn't mind all the yelling that would probably occur. She was lying on her back as she stared at the ceiling. Usagi sat at her feet.

"Why did you call me first?"

Rei shrugged. "Because you're the leader, so it's only natural."

"That's it?"

Rei laughed a little. "You're the one think of the most. It's not like I can think of you and just call someone else. That doesn't make any sense." Because Rei was lying down, she could see the grin on Usagi's face. "Oh, Rei, your feelings are getting in the way of your judgment. I mean, if any of the others were Sailor Moon, would you really call Usagi anyway?"

Rei sat up immediately. Usagi never talked in third person like that. Before she could react, she was pinned to the bed. Usagi hovered over her. When her hands released the miko's wrist, she felt something pierce her arms. She screamed in pain with her eyes shut tight. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. She looked at what was keeping her pinned to the bed. They were knives, but where had they come from? She looked back to the girl above her. Usagi was grinning at her evilly.

"I can't let you get away that quickly," she said. "Now, you took Hotaru from me, isn't that right?" Rei glared at Usagi defiantly. The blonde giggled as she kissed Rei's nose. She changed her form; Usagi had been replaced with Eris. "Well, now I think you can answer me," she spoke. "Unless you want to experience more pain." Rei refused to answer. Eris shook her head as she felt something stab her legs. "Come on, Rei, this is a simple question."

"I only helped Hotaru remember where she belonged! She did the rest!"

Eris rubbed the miko's stomach with satisfaction. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Now then, if you took Hotaru away from me, then I'll have to do the same to you. You know, an eye for an eye." She leaned closer to Rei and whispered, "I'll need your help." Rei screamed in pain as more knives stabbed her arms and legs. "Don't worry, Rei. Before you know it, pain will be like an aphrodisiac." Eris planted a kiss on Rei's lips. At that same exact moment, Rei felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The kiss prevented her from letting out a sound, as Eris' played with her tongue. She tried to breath and stay awake, but she couldn't. The feeling of energy surging through her body couldn't be felt. All of her senses were failing her.

"An eye for an eye, Rei."

* * *

Rei woke up with a start. She panted as she wiped the sweat away. She looked at her arm and legs. There were bloodstains almost everywhere. She looked at her stomach. There was a hole in the shirt, and bloodstains were present. She sighed in relief. That may have been a dream, but the effects definitely existed in reality.

She got out of bed quickly. Experiencing such pain was…well, painful. She had been stabbed repeatedly. Sure, she had died before, but being stabbed more than once was more than she could take. She took a deep breath and let it out but regretted doing that. She suddenly felt light-headed, and her body felt weird altogether. Without a second thought, she ran out the room and headed toward the bathroom.

* * *

"Hotaru's really back?"

"Yeah! I saw her this morning."

"Then why didn't you tell us?"

"It was so early. I didn't want to disturb anyone…"

"But Usagi-chan, this is important. We wouldn't have minded at all."

"Sorry, everyone. We should see her again later though."

"…I guess."

"Come on, Minako-chan, Haruka will be so happy, she'll make sure we see her."

"Mako-chan's right. Let's all go to the jinja then. It'll be convenient for Haruka-tachi."

"True, true."

* * *

Rei rubbed her head after she put on her clothes. She had taken a shower and brushed her teeth thoroughly. She had thrown up a couple of times, probably because of what had happened in that dream. She sighed as she collapsed on the bed.

"Isn't this the same position you were in last time?"

Rei sat up immediately. She looked in the corner of the room and found Eris. "What the hell are you doing here? Wasn't stabbing me enough for you?" she asked venomously. Eris laughed. "I haven't seen you in a while. Just making up for lost time," she explained. Rei stood up. She wasn't about to get stabbed again. "I suggest you leave now."

"Why? We have so many things to do right now! We can't just sit here and wait!"

Rei stared at the evil woman warily. She was up to something – that much was obvious. It made Rei wonder what she was planning. Suddenly, Eris disappeared from her spot and reappeared in front of Rei. She stumbled back. "I think you know who the first target is, right?" Eris asked. She wrapped her arms around the miko's neck and stared deeply into her eyes. Rei was unable to look away. It was like Eris was staring at her soul. Soon, her eyesight became blurry. Eris grinned. She could see the sudden vacancy in Rei's eyes.

"I asked you a question, Rei."

Rei smirked. "Of course I do, my mistress."

* * *

Ami walked down the street with a smile. Hotaru was finally back! The Sailor Senshi wouldn't be complete without the young girl. Something would be missing. Now that she was herself, everything would be better. They finally had someone to help defeat this enemy. Sailor Saturn was the strongest of all of them – after Sailor Moon herself. With her, the enemy wouldn't have a chance! Besides that fact, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna would be in chaos without her. The youth that kept them alive had vanished. It was like their happiness had disappeared because Hotaru wasn't there. Ami sighed. She just couldn't wait to see the normal Hotaru again.

Suddenly, she felt someone pull her. She tried to yelp, but her mouth had been covered with a hand. Before she knew it, she was at the jinja. There was no way she could just teleport there! What was going on?

"Calm down, Ami-chan. Don't think about it too hard."

Ami's head was tilted back slightly, revealing her neck. She felt cold metal against it, meaning only one thing. She shut her eyes tight before feeling the last bit of pain she would never feel again.

-End Chapter Ten-

Akuryo Taisen – Evil Spirits, Begone

Ofuda – talisman issued by Shinto shrine

Does Eris have full control over Rei? Is this apart of her plan? Will Usagi tell the others she told her family her secret? Stay tuned for more. Til next time

Serenity101


	11. Chapter 10: Part Two

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon._

_A/N: Sorry for the wait! I kind of suck, but not only did I start editing/revising other stories (including this one), I just started high school, which is going to take me a little while to get adjusted (to the workloads, not the school itself. I'm going to the same school as last year and the year before that anyway :p). I plan on working really hard this time around, but I hope to update every now and then (at least once a month (or two), so I won't leave you hanging again :p) And it sucks to find out that the chapter you've been waiting for is the shorter _second_ part of the last chapter, doesn't it? Sorry, but it's necessary! With that, please read on!_

_Oh, and there's an Anime Boston '08 reference hidden somewhere in this chapter. Can you find it? :D_

Chapter Ten: Part Two

Soon, the rest of Inner Senshi arrived at the Hikawa Jinja. Makoto and Minako arrived together, surprised to see Usagi sweeping the grounds. That was usually the task Rei underwent everyday. If that wasn't enough, Ami seemed to be running a little late. Usually, she would have been the first one there, since she was never one to be late for anything.

"Hey, guys, I think Rei isn't feeling well," Usagi whispered. "She fell asleep after Hotaru and Setsuna-san left, and I came out here so she'd have a little piece and quiet, you know? And then…" Usagi put her index finger inside her mouth, gagging in the process. Minako laughed at her while Makoto tried to stop the blonde from any further demonstration. "You didn't have to do that, Usagi-chan," she sighed. "We would have understood you perfectly if you had just said it." Minako suppressed her laughter and gave a little sigh. "So you're trying to say Rei's bulimic?" she asked. Makoto slapped her forehead while Usagi tried to explain what she meant.

"Why did Minako call me bulimic?"

Usagi whirled around, finding Rei a few feet away from her. The miko held her head in her hand, her eyes closed and her mouth muttering profanities. "Why are you talking about me at all?" Minako jumped to Rei's side and put her arm around the miko's shoulder. "We can help you, Rei-chan," she stated. "And remember, you'll always be our friend, even if you _are_…"

Makoto pushed Minako out of the way and shook her head. "Usagi-chan said you weren't feeling well," she explained. "Can we – me, myself, and I – help?" Rei waved her hand dismissively and said she was fine. She scratched her head once she noted Ami was missing. It was surprising to see Ami being lumped in with the other three when it came to lateness. "That's not good," she sighed. She turned around and went to the back of the jinja to practice archery when Minako stopped her. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Rei nodded and left the three.

"Something's bothering her," Makoto observed silently. "Thanks for your contribution, Captain Obvious," Minako quipped. The brunette shook her head and explained, "She brought Hotaru back to our side. She should be happy about that, but she's…acting weird." Usagi sighed softly, knowing Rei was keeping something else from them. "Something tells me that she's not thinking about Hotaru," she stated. She put her head on the top of the broom in deep thought as she stared into space.

Minako and Makoto stared at each other for a moment and then turned their gaze to Usagi. "Then who?" Usagi simply shrugged as she looked at her friends. There was an uncomfortable silence, and Usagi wanted to find out was on Rei's mind. After taking a few moments to think about it, Usagi decided to make a move. She passed the broom to Minako and went after Rei. The sound of an arrow hitting something rang in Usagi's ears as she got closer. Poking her head around the corner, she put on a smile and announced her presence.

"I don't think Ami is coming anytime soon."

Another arrow hit the target as Rei spoke. Usagi stared at the place where the arrow was, which was stuck in the outer ring of the target. It hit the photo of Mamoru that was taped to the target, but it missed Mamoru's smiling face. The picture disturbed Usagi even though she understood it was Rei's outlet when she was feeling frustrated. Slowly tearing her eyes away from the picture, she asked Rei what she meant.

"What do you think?" Rei said, taking a moment to roll her eyes. Usagi shrugged as she walked closer to Rei. "I don't know…maybe she's coming late?" Rei let out a little laugh, obviously mocking the blonde's idea. Usagi began pouting and crossed her arms. "Hey, you asked what I thought and I told you. No need to be mean about it," she huffed. "But don't you see, Usagi? Something isn't right. This goes beyond Ami just being late…"

Hitting the target with another arrow before throwing the bow down to the ground, the miko stared deeply into Usagi's eyes. "Did you feel something before Minako and Makoto arrived?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"No…no, you weren't."

Rei sighed and rubbed her head. "I guess we can only assume something came up, and Ami wasn't able to come." Usagi smiled and placed her hands on Rei's shoulder. "I suppose. So, was that the _only_ thing on your mind, or is there more I have to pry out of you?" she asked. Rei said Ami had been her main concern and that there was nothing else to talk about. Usagi took Rei by the hand to lead her back to the others, thinking that was the only problem. However, Rei stopped her.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Eh? Why not?"

"I don't want the others to worry, especially Makoto."

Usagi hesitated to speak as she looked into Rei's eyes. This would mean that they would have to keep secrets from the others again. After what had happened last time, there could be no more secrets.

"Why do we have to keep secrets?" Usagi asked. "That just hurts our friendship with the others." Rei grabbed both of Usagi's shoulders and sighed. "I know, but we have to. There are some things that have to be between us only."

"And why is that?"

"Because the enemy is targeting you and I primarily…"

"What does the enemy have to do with Ami's absence?"

Rei fell silent as she stared at the ground in thought. What exactly did the enemy have to do with Ami? The question went over in Rei's head until she came up with something. "When I asked you if you felt anything before Minako and Makoto arrived, you said 'no,' right?"

"Right."

"Then we can rule out the worst case scenario…"

Usagi gave Rei a scared and worried glance. "What's the worst case scenario?" Rei only responded with a knowing stare, not wanting to answer the question vocally. "Wait a minute, why does Ami's absence _have_ to be related to the enemy? They haven't shown up in days."

"Exactly. They could be planning something," Rei stated. She scratched her hand and sighed. "Look, Ami would have called if she was going to come late. If she doesn't turn up in a week, and Makoto hasn't heard from her, we'll pronounce her missing." Usagi glared at the miko, asking why Rei was looking into what could potentially be nothing. Rei didn't answer the question, but she knew realized something in her head: She and Usagi were being targeted _primarily_, but the others…

"You know what, Usagi?" Rei smiled. "You're right. Sorry. I guess the enemy is making me paranoid." That response seemed to be the right one since Usagi smiled back. With a tight hug, she whispered, "Let this be the last secret we have. Please?" Rei kissed the top of Usagi's head and nodded. "Yeah…this will be the last."

* * *

"Do you think Usagi got any information from Rei?"

"Uh, yeah! This is Usagi we're talking about here. Rei can't keep anything from her."

"But still…"

"But still nothing. Sure, we can't get Rei to talk, but Usagi can. When they come back, we'll find out what's up."

Makoto sighed at Minako's logic but decided not to say anything. Considering what had happened with Usagi and Rei before – especially when they started keeping secrets – she wasn't so sure that they would find out what was going through Rei's mind.

"Hmm…I wonder why Ami's so late," Minako spoke softly, never one to stay silent for long. "I'm sure she would have been here before us, or we could have met up with her on the way here." Makoto shrugged, figuring Ami needed to do something before stopping by. Minako arched an eyebrow. "You're not worried?" she asked. The brunette shook her head. "So Ami's not here yet. So what? She'll get here when she gets here." Minako tilted her head quizzically at her friend, wondering why she was the only one who was worried.

Finally, Rei and Usagi entered the room, apparently holding hands. Minako directed her attention at this sight. They couldn't have suddenly gotten together like last time (even though that was fake). Without saying a word, she pointed to it, silently asking what this all about. Usagi blushed a little while Rei smiled.

"Reassurance."

"What do you need to be reassured about?"

"Hotaru," Rei answered. "I was wondering if we had really gotten our Hotaru back. Demo, Usagi told me that I did, without a doubt." Makoto grinned at Usagi, saying, "I knew she was worried about Hotaru." Usagi stuck her tongue, trying to go along with the lie Rei had made. Hopefully, this would be the last time she would have to pretend in front of her friends.

* * *

Rei saw this coming from miles away. However, she wasn't able to brace herself for Haruka, who was arguably the fastest woman in Japan. Her arrival had been ninja-like, silent and stealthy. When the blonde found Rei in her room with the others, she pounced her target. Rei lied on the floor uncomfortably, trying to tell Haruka to get up. Of course, there was no way out of this.

As Usagi giggled at the miko, Makoto and Minako stared at each other, realizing that Haruka's arrival meant one thing…

"I'm back!"

Hotaru jumped into the doorway, acting as important as she felt. A huge grin indicated her feelings, which made Makoto laugh. That was something that only Minako would do. Minako squealed and glomped the girl, excited to see her back on their side. Michiru and Setsuna walked inside, laughing at scene they saw.

"Considering the time of day, I suspect you kept Hotaru to yourselves," Makoto said. "Naturally," Michiru stated with a smile. "Of course, thanks to Rei, we were able to be with Hotaru again…uh, Haruka, you can let go of Rei now." Just like that, Haruka stood to her feet and helped the miko stand. Grabbing her by the shoulders, she exclaimed, "If I didn't love Michiru, I would totally kiss you right now!"

Rei stepped out of the blonde's grip and sighed. "Right. Well, guys, you don't need to thank me. I only did what should have done in the beginning," she shrugged, acting as if it was nothing. As a sign of thanks, Michiru hugged Rei. Giving her a couple of pats on the back, she sighed, feeling like there would be no end to this hugging.

As all of this was going on, Setsuna moved over to Makoto. She squatted next to the girl and whispered, "Where's Ami?" Makoto stared at the floor and shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "She should have been here by now." Setsuna went through her pockets and took out her cell phone. "Make sure she's okay." Makoto left the room quickly, which caught the attention Hotaru, Minako, and Usagi.

The brunette sat on the steps of the jinja, away from everyone's hearing range. She hoped Ami answered her phone.

* * *

Rei was finally able to get away from everything when she noticed Makoto wasn't in the room. Hotaru had told her that Makoto was outside, and that's where she found her. She sat on the steps next to her, but she said nothing. She noticed that Makoto was holding a phone that was not hers. The other girl apparently found something about it that was entrancing because she wasn't looking away. When the silence became too unbearable, Rei nudged Makoto, wordlessly telling her to talk.

"Rei-chan, I'm worried."

For the first time all day, she was worried. Ami hadn't picked up her cell phone, and when Makoto had called Ami's house, she had to convince her mother that Ami would be staying with her for a little while, which was a complete lie. If there were any implication of Ami not being with her, Mrs. Mizuno would go ballistic.

"She hasn't answered her phone, and Mizuno-san said she wasn't home."

Rei crossed her arms in thought, remembering the conversation she had with Usagi. "We'll have to look for her. Once Haruka-tachi are gone, we'll look in every one of her usual places," she said. Makoto balled her hands into fists. "But what if we can't find her? Then what?"

"Let's not think that way, alright?"

Makoto hung her head and nodded, hoping to find Ami soon. Rei put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving Makoto the thumbs up. When Makoto looked up, she smiled and returned the gesture. They decided to look for Ami in the morning, giving the missing girl a little time to show up. If she didn't contact anyone, they would have to search for her. However, the Outers couldn't find out about this just yet. Five people worrying about Ami were enough. Besides, they deserved a little peace with Hotaru.

For a moment there, the conversation that had just taken place reminded Rei of the one she had had earlier with Usagi. Here, she was Usagi and Makoto was her. The tall brunette was thinking of worst-case scenarios while the miko was trying not to let her think that way. Rei thought it was kind of ironic.

"Rei, Makoto, we're going."

The two turned their heads, noticing the four Outers standing behind them. Before she was able to forget, Makoto gave Setsuna her phone. The two then watched them walk down the steps. When they were out of sight, Rei and Makoto decided to go back inside. It was time to tell the others the plan.

* * *

It was now two in the morning. There were only a couple of hours remaining until the search for Ami would begin. Unbeknown to the other girls, there would be no sign of her. Hell, Rei probably wouldn't even bother. What would be the point? Those silly Inners. This was becoming too easy.

Rei was sitting at her desk, a notebook in front of her. Written on the white-lined paper were the names of her friends. Ami, Makoto, and Minako's names were on one side; Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna's names were on the other. Ami's name was crossed out, and Setsuna's name was checked off. She stared at the names and sighed. She hoped the rest of the week would be go by quickly.

"Rei?"

Rei turned around and found Mamoru poking his head in the door. After a few moments of staring at him, she turned around, telling him to come in. "Well, what is it?" she asked, hearing his footsteps from behind her. "I found out what happened to you," he said simply. He hovered over her and stared at the open notebook. Rei stayed silent as he looked over what she had written.

"Sweet plan."

"Thanks."

"I heard what you did with Ami. Clever, I must say. So, does Hotaru know about this?"

"Hotaru's on _their_ side, Mamoru."

"Oh? Well, I'll rectify that later. I'll tell her everything, and we'll go over this list."

"Alright."

Mamoru gave Rei a pat on the shoulder and took his leave. Rei stared at the list of names, knowing that this plan had to work.

--End Chapter Ten: Part Two--

_Why are Rei and Mamoru acting friendly all of a sudden? What is Rei's plan? Has Rei really switched sides? Stayed tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	12. Chapter 11: Part One

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

_A/N: So, I haven't touched this story since my freshman year of high school ): Not cool. However, I'm ready to get this story done once and for all, so let's get to it!_

Chapter Eleven: Part One

Usagi and Rei were sitting on Rei's bed in her room, huffing and puffing as sweat trickled down their temples. They had run all around Juuban looking for Ami, but she was nowhere to be found. Makoto and Minako were still looking around for her, but Rei knew it was no use. Ami wouldn't be found for a while, but she didn't know for how long.

Usagi still had hope in finding her friend. However, that hope was slowly fading. It was obvious to Rei that Usagi was accepting the thought of the enemy having something to do with Ami's disappearance. Would Usagi admit that now? Probably not. Would she admit it later? Maybe.

"Where could she have gone?" Usagi sighed. "Why would she just leave like that?" Rei understood the blonde was only wondering aloud, still trying to convince herself that Ami had had her reasons for hiding from them, and she would call them later or something.

When all the panting subsided, Rei put her hand on Usagi's shoulder comfortingly, trying to calm her down. Usagi touched her hand softly, but she didn't look into Rei's eyes. "Sorry. I shouldn't worry…because we'll get her back, right?" she asked slowly. Rei nodded with a smile, bringing Usagi into a tight hug.

"No matter what, we'll find her."

Usagi simply held on to the other girl, hoping she was right.

"I was going to show up when everyone got here, but this is too much!"

Rei and Usagi jumped apart at the sound of a new voice. Rei stood to her feet, ready to go into action. However, she was taken by surprise when she felt someone hold her from behind. "Seriously, Rei-chan, you should be with me and only me," the person whispered. Rei broke away from their grip and glared at the intruder. This was probably Eris 'making up for lost time' again.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi asked calmly, standing up and staring Eris in the face. "If you want Rei, you'll have to kill me first."

"Oh, but to kill you this early is not apart of the plan, princess," Eris grinned. She turned to Rei and laughed. She held the miko's hand, causing Usagi to stare. "However, my primary objective is complete," the evil woman declared. "Rei is now under my control."

"No I'm not."

"What?"

Rei pulled her hand away and rolled her eyes. "I'm not under your control," she stated. "My life belongs to my princess. The day I follow you is the day the world ends."

"So true!" Eris laughed. "It seems you've figured it out already!" Then, she sighed as she sat on the bed and crossed her legs. Her expression grew serious, which Rei and Usagi had never witnessed before. Her blue eyes stared at the miko, trying to find something within her. "I do know you are mine, Rei. That much is obvious."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to pretend because your princess is here."

"Pretend?"

"You killed Ami just for me. You've _proved_ that I can trust you."

Usagi looked from Eris to Rei, not believing what she was hearing. Rei would never kill their best friend. The idea was absolutely absurd! To kill a fellow senshi, a friend…it was just unthinkable! Rei raised a questioning eyebrow, obviously not agreeing with what Eris had just said. That statement made no sense. "I didn't kill her. I didn't even see her yesterday, so I could I have?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Eris's face faulted. She didn't understand what was happening. It had seemed like she had Rei before. Either she was pretending, or she was being serious. By the looks of things, she wasn't pretending at all. Sighing, she stood up. It was now apparent that Rei wasn't completely on her side. Damn these turn of events.

"It looks like I'll have to try harder," she huffed. She disappeared from sight, leaving Usagi bewildered. She was going to ask Rei why Eris would say things like that, but the door was opened, and someone beat her to it.

"The things she said…they weren't true, right?"

Rei turned around, finding Minako and Makoto at the door. They both had confused expressions on their faces. Makoto seemed to be the most confused. It was now obvious that they had heard most of the conversation, if not everything.

Rei shook her head in response to Minako's question. "I'm not under her control, and I definitely didn't kill Ami," she said. "I didn't see her yesterday, just like you guys. I was here the whole time."

Staring into Makoto's eyes, there was a bit of suspicion in them. However, she attempted to smile and gave her the thumbs up. "Anything the enemy says is just a bunch of lies," she said. "You wouldn't hurt your friends, Rei, and we all know that. We'll find Ami – I just know it." With that, she left, saying she would search for Ami a little more. The three girls watched her go, very concerned for her. It was rather obvious that Makoto wasn't as happy as she seemed.

"The enemy isn't the only one who lies," Rei quipped as she rolled her eyes. "She doesn't believe me." Minako entered the room and grabbed her shoulders. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "She's just confused. She doesn't know what to think," the blonde explained. Rei stared down at the floor. If Makoto didn't believe her, the enemy would use that to their advantage.

This wasn't good.

* * *

"So, Rei's not with us completely?"

"Nope. I really thought I got her though."

"What'll we do about Saturn?"

"…I don't know yet. Rei threw us off track…I suppose we'll have to wait until they make the next move."

_Hotaru…we must take action._

"When? The enemy hasn't appeared in a while."

_That may be so, but they are very near. I can feel it._

"Really? How close?"

_Closer than you think._

"So how do we take action against them if they keep hiding?"

_We flush them out. I know a way to do it, but you have to do as I say._ _Do you trust me?_

"Of course. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna were sitting at the table in the kitchen. They had eaten breakfast – but without Hotaru, who seemed to be asleep. However, they were worried that something else had happened, since the enemy had captured her once before. What if that were to happen again? That wouldn't be fair. They had just gotten her back to their side. To have her leave again…

"Should I see if she's okay?" Haruka asked. Setsuna shook her head. "Why not?" the blonde asked. Setsuna didn't respond, but she didn't need to. They heard a door open and some humming coming from the hallway. Haruka gave Setsuna a strange glance. "How do you do that?"

"Don't question her gift, Haruka," Michiru smiled. "Just utilize it as much as possible." Setsuna arched an eyebrow and stared at the Michiru with a questioning look. "Since when do you use people, Kaiou?" she asked.

"Michiru-mama doesn't use people. Morning, everyone."

Hotaru entered the kitchen with a bright smile. She gave each of her parents a kiss on the cheek and proceeded to look through the fridge. Michiru grinned at Setsuna, putting her index finger on her lips. Haruka smiled and kissed Michiru. Who knew Kaiou Michiru was such a sneaky person?

"Ah, Hotaru," Setsuna said as she watched Hotaru pour juice into a cup, "Your breakfast is inside the microwave, so you can just warm it up." Hotaru nodded and thanked whoever made it. Michiru and Setsuna spoke up at the same time, claiming that they were the ones who made it. Setsuna narrowed her eyes at the unusually playful musician, who only smiled back innocently.

"Woman, what are you _on_?" the green-haired woman asked. Haruka and Hotaru stifled their laughter at the thought of Michiru doing drugs. That would be a day to remember. Michiru glared at them both. She had expected one of them, especially Haruka, to defend her and scold Setsuna for saying such a thing. Instead of retorting back at the older woman, she simply crossed her arms and huffed.

Setsuna stared at Michiru and shook her head. "Hotaru, don't follow in Michiru's footsteps, okay?" she sighed. Hotaru nodded and gave her the thumbs up. Now that looking up to Michiru was forbidden, that made Setsuna the only one left. Haruka had already been considered out of the question.

"I swear, you always ruin my fun," Michiru frowned. As Setsuna and Michiru went back and forth and Haruka looked on with amusement, Hotaru smiled sadly. If she were lucky, this wouldn't be the last time she would see her family like this.

* * *

_Hours later…_

Upon opening the door, Makoto regretted her decision. Mustering up the will to smile, she stared at Rei, who seemed to have something important to say. To say the brunette lost faith in her friend _completely_ just because of what the enemy had said before was inaccurate. However, she was apprehensive about believing anything at this point.

Ami's disappearance had hit her hard, so she was wary of everything now. She didn't want to make her new feelings obvious, however. To give her friends the notion of her distrusting them would result in mass chaos in the group, and that wasn't necessary. They still needed to work together in order to defeat the enemy, so things couldn't fall apart now.

"Hey, Rei," Makoto greeted. "What's up?"

"You feel like I'm responsible for Ami's disappearance. Why?"

"Eh? Where'd that come from?"

"Do you really think I would let the enemy control me?"

"It's happened before…"

"Ha! I knew it!" Rei yelled, narrowing her eyes at the brunette. "You'd really believe that _I_ would kill my own _friend_? Are you serious?" Makoto noted how she had fallen into another trap set up by Rei. Would Rei report this to the others? Would there be friction between the four when she did? Would the team dissolve and let the enemy conquer them?

Makoto sighed and motioned Rei inside. The miko entered but stayed in front of the door. She closed it and leaned against it, glaring at who she thought she was her friend. She never thought Makoto would be so gullible as to believe whatever the enemy said.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't trust anyone anymore," Makoto said softly. "I wondered why Ami would just disappear without saying anything to any of us, but after hearing _that_…" The brunette trailed off for a moment, taking a moment to repeat Eris's words in her head. She stared at the floor for a second or two before continuing. "But after hearing that, I kept thinking about. It actually makes sense. Sure, it was probably the enemy who did it…but I can't rule out one thing."

"And that would be?"

Makoto laughed and shook her head. "Isn't it obvious, Rei? They want _you_! They want _you_ to do their dirty work in order to send the world into darkness! They've been targeting _you_ this entire time, so what if you did succumb to their power? Then what?"

Rei pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment and decided it was impossible to convince Makoto that she did not kill Ami. It was probably best if she didn't see Makoto for a while and let her rethink things on her own. She turned around and opened the door, announcing her departure. Before she was able to leave Makoto grabbed her shoulder. Turning around, she was suddenly pulled into a hug.

"Rei, don't hate me for this. I just want Ami back," Makoto whispered into her ear. Rei nodded and gave her a pat on the back. "It's okay. When this is all over, we'll be friends like old times."

* * *

Setsuna's brow creased as she stared hard at the wall. She was sitting in the kitchen with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru with the phone against her ear. Usagi's voice was on the other end, sounding worried and apprehensive. The princess had called about Ami – she had been missing yesterday.

"You've searched everywhere?" Setsuna asked, taking a moment to look at her partners. They stared back as they sat on the edge of their seats. Setsuna's expression was as still as stone and unchanging. In the final moments of silence, the older woman sighed and frowned. "Alright, we'll look for her right away. I'll call if anything changes…don't worry, we'll find her. Bye."

Setsuna rubbed her temples in disdain. Suddenly losing Ami was the worst thing to possibly happen to the team, and Setsuna knew it. The young girl's disappearance was suspicious. Why would the smartest senshi vanish without a single note or call? (At least Rei had the courtesy of letting everyone know she would be gone.)

"Setsuna?" Michiru piped up. "What's going on?" Looking up, she propped her head up on her hands. "Ami's gone," she said bluntly. "Hime-chan, can you make me a cup of tea?" Hotaru nodded and got up from the table. She could tell that her mother was feeling vexed, and tea would help her calm down slightly. It looked like she would have to bring out the big mug.

"The others have searched for her already, but they haven't found any trace of her," Setsuna continued. "You know what that means." Michiru and Haruka grew grim, wondering how Ami could have been taken from the enemy right under their noses. "What if she suddenly turns up again?" Hotaru suggested, trying to make up excuses for the girl's disappearance but failing miserably. "Maybe she went somewhere and didn't think it would take too long to come back, which would explain why didn't say anything about it."

"Nice try, hime-chan, but Ami was never one for hide-and-seek," Haruka murmured. "The other girls wouldn't be so worried if that were the case. Ami would have told them she was leaving."

"So what do we do?" Michiru asked. "Should we still look for her?"

"There's no reason to," Setsuna shrugged, "and you know it. What we need to do is figure out who the enemy is planning to take out next."

* * *

Upon returning home, Rei was almost surprised to see Usagi lying in her bed. The blonde jumped up, scrambling up to see how had entered. Rei noticed the tears in her eyes just before the blonde wiped them away. Ami was still on the girl's mind, and she was gradually losing hope.

"You can relax," Rei sighed as she glided over to the bed. She plopped down and patted the spot next to her. Usagi sat down slowly and put her head on her friend's shoulder.

"Where did you go?" Usagi asked quietly. Rei put her arm around the girl's shoulder and told her about her trip to Makoto's apartment. "She doesn't trust me," she put it simply. "Unless we find Ami, she's going to be rather…distant from the team."

"Oh…"

"What have you done while I've been away?"

"I called Setsuna earlier," Usagi reported. "She said she would help…but…" The blonde fell silent, leaving Rei wondering what she was going to say. The priestess was hoping that she would finish her statement on her own, but it didn't seem like she was going to say anything else.

"But what?"

"…I don't think they'd find her, even if they actually searched for her."

"What do you mean by _if_?"

"You and the Outers are the same; you all think alike," Usagi explained, looking up to Rei. When their eyes met, some sort of tension filled the room. Rei's eyes were skeptical, wondering what Usagi was driving at. Usagi's eyes were reflected what she felt in her heart – a deep anguish. "I know they figured out the enemy is involved," Usagi continued. "So what would be the point of looking, right?"

"Eris was definitely bluffing about Ami being dead," Rei said. "The enemy might have her, but she's not dead. You would know if she were, right?" Usagi shrugged in response. She didn't know what to think anymore, but she knew one thing for sure – she was a bad leader if she let the enemy get to another one of her friends again.

"So what's next?" Usagi asked. "They won't let Ami go, so how do we get her back?" Rei lightly placed a finger on Usagi's lips, smiling at her. "We'll figure it out," she whispered. "We're Sailor Senshi, and we always win." Usagi smiled back, knowing Rei was right. They always won, no matter how hard it got. After everything they had been through, losing wasn't an option.

* * *

_Hours later…_

The clock struck 4:00. Everyone was asleep, giving Hotaru the chance to escape. She snuck out as quietly as she could. If she were lucky, she wouldn't have to come back home very soon. She didn't know where to start, so she would let Saturn lead her.

The air was frigid but thankfully not too cold. The clothes she wore were light and protected most of her body from the temperature more than she expected. Still, she knew it wouldn't be good to meander around the city for too long. Creepy people liked to roam the streets and night, so there was no telling what would happen.

Before Hotaru even realized, she was close to the Hikawa Jinja. She contemplated going there to see if anyone was awake but decided against it. Rei would question her and see to it that she got back home. On top of that, her parents would surely reprimand her for being out at such an hour.

Just as she was about to turn a corner, she noticed a figure across the street walking towards her. She could tell it was no one threatening, but she made sure to be alert. She slowed her pace and watched the figure warily. The figure got closer and closer, and soon Hotaru realized that the person was Usagi. She smiled despite herself and began running towards the princess but remembered too late that she wasn't supposed to be caught by anyone.

Usagi raced across the street to meet Hotaru, a frown on her face. "Hotaru-chan, what are you doing here?" she asked. "You shouldn't be on the streets at this time of night." Hotaru scratched her head, hoping to think of an excuse to use. Usagi stared at her sternly, waiting for an answer. It seemed that the younger girl didn't know what to say.

"Well, what about you?" Hotaru chuckled nervously, trying to turn the tables on her leader. Unfortunately, the trick didn't work. "Come on, I'll take you home," Usagi sighed, reaching for the girl's hand. She began walking back the way Hotaru came, but Hotaru wouldn't budge. She turned and looked at the girl, wondering why she wasn't moving.

"I can't go back," she whispered. "I have to find Ami. Somehow, someway, I'll find her. Then, we'll all figure out a way to destroy the enemy once and for all." Hotaru squeezed Usagi's hand and gritted her teeth. "I'll do whatever it takes, Usagi-san. That's why I can't go back."

Usagi pulled Hotaru into a hug and shook her head. "You don't have to do anything, Hotaru-chan," she said. "We just got you back, and we can't afford to lose you again. Leave Ami to me." Hotaru tried to struggle out of Usagi's grip, but the blonde kept her in place. "I'm going to take you home now, okay?"

"I can't go back!" Hotaru yelled. "I have to find Ami-san – for you! We can't let them have her! We can't win without her!" Using all of her strength, she pushed Usagi away as far she could and took off as fast she could. Unsurprisingly, she heard footsteps behind her. Hotaru was never an athlete, so naturally her legs were starting to fail her. After all the running she did to get there, how could she possibly expect to run from Usagi, a taller girl whose one step equaled two of Hotaru's?

In only three seconds, Hotaru felt Usagi grab her wrist. She couldn't let Usagi deter her. She had to leave and figure out how to get Ami back and bring the enemy out in the open. She had to do this for the rest of the team. This could be their only chance to attack!

"Tomoe Hotaru, I am taking you home!" Usagi shouted as she attempted to pull Hotaru in the opposite direction. The two struggled in a long game of tug-of-arm before Hotaru decided to end it. She went limp for a moment, letting Usagi pull her. Then, she curled up her fist and threw a punch. Time froze for a moment when the hit connected. Usagi's eyes widened with shock and the pain she felt from Hotaru's knuckles. Hotaru gasped at what she did. She hit Usagi's jaw so hard, and her knuckles were burning from the pain. She couldn't believe that she hit Usagi – her leader and princess! Instead of protecting her, she had hurt her, and she couldn't believe it. Now she knew she definitely couldn't go back.

Time seemed to flow again after the initial shock, and Usagi lost her grip on Hotaru and fell to the ground. The two stared at each other, not knowing what to say or what to do. Hotaru's heart started pounding in her chest, trying to find the words to apologize to the older girl. She couldn't make a sound at all. What could she say that could take back what she had done?

Without a single word, she ran off, having no idea where to go. Usagi watched the girl flee, knowing it was no use to go after her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her hands curled up into fists. Hotaru had been her responsibility, and she messed up. She didn't even know she was going to tell the others.

As she stared at the path that Hotaru had taken, she saw something shifting in the darkness almost whimsically. Perhaps she was hallucinating, but this weird sight gave her the feeling that Hotaru wasn't coming back.

_Will Makoto come to her senses? Can Usagi stay strong? Will Hotaru come back? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	13. Chapter 11: Part Two

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon._

Chapter Eleven: Part Two

"_She's gone, and you can't have her back. All of you shall die!"_

Usagi remembered those words well, but she really wanted to get them out of her head. She had had a dream that night – hours before she had encountered Hotaru near the shrine. It had been about Ami, and Eris continually taunted Usagi until she woke up with a start. She was sleeping with Rei (this time with her parents' consent), but she couldn't go to sleep once she recovered from the scariness of the dream. As a result, she decided to go for a short walk. From there, the rest was history.

She never ended up going back to the shrine that night. Instead, she continued to wander around. Eventually, she sat down under a tree and tried to sleep. Her attempt was successful for a few hours, but then the dream came back. However, there was something different about it this time. The second time, the dream included Hotaru as well while Eris taunted her.

After that incident with Hotaru, she didn't know how she could explain it to everyone. She felt like such a failure, and it tore her to pieces. Although she didn't want to think about it, she knew now that those words were talking about Hotaru. Hotaru was gone again, and it as her fault.

"Usako! Usako!"

Usagi didn't attempt to move, so she scanned the area in front of her to find the source of the voice. Who would have thought that Mamoru would find her first? She saw him coming from her left side and turned to face him. He rushed to her side and pulled her up to her feet.

"Usako!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Someone could have taken you away or something!"

"Hotaru is gone," she murmured, mostly to herself. "It's all my fault." Mamoru gave her a look of confusion and shook his head. "What are you saying?" he asked. "Everyone, including Hotaru, is looking for you." Usagi's eyes opened wide, and a new sense of hope exploded inside of her. She grabbed Mamoru's arms and smiled, "Take me to her!"

* * *

_Twenty minutes later…_

Everyone was gathered at the Hikawa Shrine, apparently waiting for Usagi's arrival. When Usagi and Mamoru's heads were in clear view, Minako was the first to dash towards them. She threw herself on top of Usagi, who barely caught her. Mamoru laughed nervously as he helped Usagi balance herself with Minako embracing her.

"Usagi-chan!" she screamed. "Don't scare us like that ever again! What if the enemy really had you?" Usagi played it off by acting like everything was okay. "Sorry, sorry," she laughed, pulling Minako away. Holding the other blonde's hand, she walked over to the group and looked at everyone. Rei softly glared at her, as if to scold her in a way. Makoto smiled as she crossed her arms, glad to see Usagi was alright. The Outers were relieved to see that their princess was safe, though Setsuna seemed a little odd for some reason. (Usagi couldn't tell if she was simply over-thinking it or not). Then her eyes fell on Hotaru.

Usagi's smile fell ungracefully as a look of surprise filled her features. She let go of Minako and walked closer to her youngest teammate. With both hands, she cupped the girl's face with a sense of urgency, staring deeply into her eyes. She knew she was trying to find something, but she didn't know exactly what.

"Usagi-san, you're scaring me," Hotaru said as she broke her gaze. Usagi drew her hands back and suddenly snickered. "That's what you get for punching me in the face last night," she grinned. "I didn't really appreciate that." Everyone was taken aback by Usagi's statement. Hotaru shrunk under all the attention and tried to cover her face, mentally hoping no one could see her.

"Excuse me, Hotaru."

Hotaru turned around slowly upon hearing her father and mother's voices. This couldn't be good at all.

"Yes, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama?"

"You _punched_ Usagi-chan?"

"Y-yes, Haruka-papa."

"When was this?"

"Last night…after I left home, Michiru-mama."

"Why did you leave home?"

"T-to find Ami-san! I wanted to be useful!"

As Haruka and Michiru drilled Hotaru with questions (and the others watched), Usagi looked at Setsuna. The older woman motioned her to follow her away from the group, so she did just that. No one seemed to think much of it, which made her less nervous about whatever Setsuna wanted to see her about.

The two stopped inside a hallway. Setsuna looked around to make sure no one had followed them to eavesdrop. When the coast was clear, she sighed. "You felt it too," she said simply. "You mean Hotaru?" Usagi asked. When Setsuna nodded, Usagi did the same. "Yeah, I did."

"Tell me what happened last night," Setsuna requested. "She was home when we all woke up, but something about her was…different." Usagi told her about the dream and how it led up to her seeing Hotaru. She explained how Hotaru hit her and ran off in search of Ami – with something seemingly following her. When her story ended, Setsuna's expression grew grave.

"This much is clear then," the Time Senshi deducted. "That's not Hotaru." Usagi hung her head, and the happy feeling she had just had disappeared. Tears pooled behind her eyelids, threatening to overflow. Setsuna put her hand on her shoulder and carefully picked up the girl's head.

"It's unfortunate that the enemy has captured her again," Setsuna whispered. "It makes me angry that they're using my daughter for their plans. I know that you feel like it's your fault that she's gone, but it's not. You're not weak, useless, or whatever else you might be thinking."

Usagi opened her mouth to interject, but Setsuna pressed a finger against her lips. With a smile, she pulled Usagi into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "You're literally the most powerful being in all of the universe," Setsuna bragged. "You've been maturing so fast lately, and you've become such a strong leader. Don't lose heart, my princess. We can only overcome as a team if _you_ stay strong."

The more Setsuna talked, the more Usagi cried. Setsuna rocked her back and forth, shushing her so that the others wouldn't hear. As much as Setsuna made her feel better, she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't as strong as Setsuna thought she was.

* * *

"_I know Rei has noticed the difference in 'Hotaru' but, in case she hasn't, don't say anything to her if she doesn't bring it up first. I think for now we shouldn't mention it to the others. Let's play along and see what she does. She may be able to bring the enemy out, and then we can strike. Remember: don't lose heart."_

Setsuna's words echoed in Usagi's mind as she watched everyone walk down the steps. Now that Usagi was found, their job was done for now. Perhaps they would come back to discuss Ami's disappearance (if there was anything else left to say). Rei stood next to her and glanced at her carefully. For the first time in a while, she couldn't tell what Usagi was thinking.

"Usagi?"

"Yes, Rei?"

"Where did you go last night?"

Usagi turned to Rei and shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "I dunno," she replied. "I had a dream last night, so I decided to walk around a bit." For a moment, she laughed and scratched her head. "I guess I got too tired to come back. Silly me!" Rei's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the dream. She had had a dream as well, and she was hoping that Usagi's wasn't the same as hers.

"That dream…was it about Ami-chan?"

Usagi's smile disappeared slowly as she nodded. Rei cursed under her breath and pulled Usagi close to her. Before Usagi could ask what was going on, she began moving, making her way inside the shrine. When they were in her room, she pressed Usagi up against the wall. Usagi's eyes were questioning, but she didn't try to escape.

"In your dream," Rei began, "was Eris there? Mocking you?" Usagi nodded. Rei let the shorter girl go and groaned, gritting her teeth. "Too bad that dream wasn't just about Ami-chan," she muttered. 'She knows…Setsuna was right,' Usagi thought. She placed a hand on the other girl's arm, hoping she would calm down a bit. There was no need to get all worked up now, right?

"Setsuna doesn't want the others to know about her," she explained. "She wants us to go with it – to see what the enemy does next." Rei let out a big sigh and shook her head in disagreement. "But this is _Hotaru_ we're talking about. If she's not with us, then she's against us. She could take us out one by one. It would be the perfect inside job," Rei pointed out. "That's why we have to watch her," Usagi reasoned. "I won't let anyone else be taken away from me."

Rei thought of retorting for a moment, but whatever she said wouldn't make a difference. Usagi wasn't going to let her be more direct in handling this new problem. She guessed she would have to trust Usagi and Setsuna on this one.

* * *

Setsuna sat in the kitchen by herself, drinking some tea and absent-mindedly staring at the wall in front of her. She felt really perplexed knowing the enemy was right in her house. The worst part about it was that Haruka and Michiru didn't even know the difference, which was weird. Of all the Senshi, usually they knew when something evil was afoot first. Were they really oblivious to their new problem or did they just turn a blind eye to it?

Another thing that bothered the Time Senshi was what Fake Hotaru was thinking. If she had any sense, she must have known that Setsuna, Usagi, and Rei had her figured out. If they willed it, they could eliminate her on the spot. Did she know their plan to watch her? Or was _she_ watching _them_?

"Setsuna-mama! Where are you?"

"In the kitchen, dear."

Setsuna mustered up the energy to act normal as she put down her mug of tea. Hotaru soon came into her peripheral vision, so she got ready to play dumb.

"What do you need, hime-chan?" Setsuna smiled. Staring into Hotaru's eyes was like staring into a void, and it only reminded her that her daughter was really gone (yet again). "Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama said that I'm grounded!" she exclaimed. "All I wanted to do was find Ami-san. I didn't mean to hurt Usagi-san or anything! I did so many bad things before…I just wanted to make things right!"

The older woman gave the girl a thoughtful glance and cupped her cheek. She was so cold – didn't anyone else notice? Setsuna tried not to dwell on that fact so that Hotaru didn't catch on to her suspicions. "We know that you want to do what's right and help find our teammate," Setsuna acknowledged, "but you can't run off in the middle of the night to do it. If anything, you could have asked us and we could have searched together."

"But you weren't going to look for her," Hotaru murmured. Knowing that was true, Setsuna sighed and held her hands. "We'll handle this. For now, go to your room before your father comes after you." With a frown, Hotaru trudged back to her room without any more complaints. Setsuna picked up her tea once more, wondering how she found it so easy to talk to Hotaru in these conditions. She needed a game plan soon – before Hotaru made her next move.

_Has Hotaru been captured again? Why is it that only Setsuna, Usagi, and Rei have noticed something wrong? What will become of the remaining Senshi?_

_Stayed tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	14. Chapter 12: Part One

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Twelve: Part One

Weeks were passing by, and Eris wasn't attacking. Usagi was enjoying the peacetime, but it made her nervous. Ami was still lost, and 'Hotaru' hadn't blown her cover (yet). If it wasn't official before, it was official now – Ami wasn't coming back unless the Senshi did something about Eris. The blonde didn't know when the final battle would begin (or if that vision she had about Rei would ever come true), but she had to make sure it started soon. She didn't know how exactly to go about that endeavor, so that's where the rest of team came in. It was time for a Senshi meeting.

* * *

"Hey, did you get that call from Usagi-chan?"

"Yeah, I did. Why, what of it?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you were actually going. You know, since you haven't talked to Rei-chan in so long…"

"Don't worry about me, Minako-chan! I'm fine now, seriously!"

"Alright, Mako-chan, if you say so."

* * *

Rei watched each of her friends enter her room as she sat on her bed. That mild irritation she usually had when everyone barged into her room completely disappeared when Makoto walked in. She seemed rather happy and actually greeted her. This obviously wasn't a different Makoto or anything, but this was so weird.

Makoto and Rei hadn't spoken a word to each other since Ami first disappeared, and the brunette was so depressed that the only time anyone saw her was when everyone was searching for Usagi a few weeks prior. The only thing that could bring her spirits back up (as they were now) was if Ami was with her. Either Rei was over-thinking it, or something was wrong. She hoped it was the former.

"So, Usagi," Rei sighed, "what's all this about?" Usagi, who was sitting on the floor next to Minako, looked at her friends with a grave expression. "I don't want to prolong this fight," she explained. "Eris is planning something, and that has to be why she hasn't attacked. In order to make sure that one else is taken away, we have to force her out and defeat her then and there."

Makoto, who stood next to the door, couldn't help but laugh. A person like Usagi being serious like this was still a new thing. "Pretty ambitious of you," she said. "How do you propose we go about it?" Usagi's eyes turned to Rei, which worried the priestess. The weird look in Usagi's eyes made her uneasy.

"What?" Rei asked. "I don't know how we can draw her out unless…" Minako's jaw dropped when she figured out where Usagi was going with this. "Wait! Usagi Rei as a decoy?" she deducted. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Rei wouldn't be the one in any immediate danger…"

"Which is exactly why I won't do it," Rei spoke up. "If something were to happen to me, _you_ would be the one in danger." Usagi frowned. If Ami were there, they would have a smarter plan ready. Still determined, she nodded. "That's okay. I have faith in all of you, and I know you'll protect me until the end."

"Usagi-chan, I don't know if you remember correctly but every time we defend you, we die (well, not every time, but you get what I mean)!" Minako pointed out. "We die for you, which is perfectly fine! The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that we _suck_. Compared to you, we're like ants. In other words, we go splat rather easily."

Makoto covered her face with her hands and sighed. Rei rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking away at the wall. "She's right," the two muttered at the same time, slightly embarrassed to say it. "So if we actually fight Eris the way things are right now, everyone would be dead and waiting in limbo, hoping you win so we can come back," Minako continued. "Besides, I doubt we're getting another upgrade, so I know for a fact that we'll get our asses kicked."

Usagi opened her mouth to argue against Minako, but Minako was very adamant in her decision not to partake in her friend's plan. "We'll come up with something else," Makoto reassured the princess. Usagi sighed and hung her head, defeated (for now).

For the rest of their time together, they talked about other tactics they could use to try to defeat Eris with and (much later) what they would do once the battle ended. For the four girls, it was actually fun; it was reminiscent of their younger, 'simpler' days as Senshi.

"What are you going to do when it's over?" Makoto asked Minako. The blonde looked up to the ceiling in thought. She crossed her arms when she couldn't come to a conclusion. "I don't know," she said. "Live with Artemis for the rest of my life – alone. At least he'll always love me." Rei laughed at Minako theatrics. She was overdoing it, but Rei could easily imagine something like that happening to her friend. "You'll find someone for you one day," Usagi chimed in.

"Says the girl who has two people vying for her attention."

Usagi whipped her head in Makoto's direction. The younger girl was staring at her nails as if she hadn't said anything at all. The silence stretched for a long period of time, all three girls staring at Makoto. Finally, the brunette looked up and grinned. "Oh, did I say that?" she joked. "Sorry about that."

"Which brings up the question!" Minako beamed. "Rei, what are _you_ going to do after the battle is over?"

"Seduce Usagi until she realizes that Mamoru, even when he isn't being used by someone else, isn't the best choice for her," Rei answered smoothly, staring into Usagi's blue eyes. The blonde blushed under her gaze, so she lowered her eyes. Minako moved in closer to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder. "What about you?" Surprising herself and those around her, Usagi replied, "I'm going to tell Rei that she doesn't have to seduce me because I already know that Mamoru isn't for me."

The three protectors looked at each other curiously. If Usagi was being serious, then why was she still with him?

* * *

"Is it time yet?"

"No, be patient."

"I still think we should kill them all in one fell swoop!"

"In due time. Besides, why not give the princess a fighting chance? Leaving a few of her protectors with her won't hurt."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Of course. I have everything under control, I promise."

* * *

"Um, are you sure this is okay?" Rei asked as she stood next to Usagi. She was fidgeting about in a nervous fashion. Usagi, who had brought her over to her house for the night (to get her out the shrine for a change), shoved the house key into the lock. "Of course!" Usagi confirmed. "My parents like you well enough, so they wouldn't turn you away now that you're here."

Unlocking the door, she gave the knob a twist but hesitated from opening it. "One thing you should know," the blonde whispered. Rei moved closer so that she could hear Usagi's warning clearly. "If they seem kind of weird, that's because they know we're Sailor Senshi."

"What?" Rei yelled as Usagi opened the door. Usagi ignored her and acted as if nothing happened at all. "Mom, Dad, I'm home with a friend!" she called out as she took of her shoes. As Rei composed herself, she entered just as Ikuko came to greet them. Her eyes immediately met Rei's, and she gave the girl a questioning look as if to say, "Are you like Usagi?" Rei's mouth became dry as she nodded quickly and bowed, greeting Ikuko politely. Ikuko then smiled, "Make yourself at home."

"Mama, can she spend the night? We have business to discuss," Usagi asked in an attempt to sound professional. Ikuko laughed and stated it was okay. Without skipping a beat, the youngest of the two grabbed the other, who just barely finished removing her shoes. Once they got to Usagi's room, Usagi locked the door behind her, ensuring privacy. All the commotion awakened Luna, who was perched on the bed. At the very sight of Rei, she perked up.

"Long time, no see," the cat said. "What brings you here?" Rei pointed to Usagi. "Her. She wanted to talk about something, and apparently it's going to take all night," she explained. When Luna gave her an odd look, she told the feline she would be staying the night. Luna didn't know if this was a good or bad idea, but she figured she would be fine if she didn't interfere when things got hot and heavy. She hopped up to the windowsill as Usagi and Rei sat on the bed. The priestess closed her eyes and let a breath escape her. This would be a long night indeed.

"So why do your parents know?"

"Ha, ha…funny you should ask that."

Rei glared at her friend with narrowed eyes. Yeah, this wasn't funny at all. Usagi laughed nervously as she tried to say it in a way that didn't get Rei mad.

"Well, you see…after I came home for the first time, I got all pissy with everyone. Somewhere along the way, my mom threatened to kill me (sort of), and I told her that I would come back if she killed me. Everyone was confused, so I told them…"

"Pissy how?"

Usagi shrugged, not remembering everything too well. It had been so long ago when she had first come home (besides, she could barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone weeks ago). "I just started yelling and stuff." Rei noted how Usagi's eyes wouldn't meet hers as they spoke. Usagi's vague answers weren't helping very much either. Unfortunately, it was very clear that she wouldn't be getting any answers, so she decided to move on.

"Did you notice anything weird today?" Rei asked. Finally, Usagi looked into her amethyst orbs, straightening up and ready to engage Rei in a new conversation. Funny how her body language changed so quickly.

"Mako-chan? Absolutely," Usagi nodded, completely agreeing. "She's livelier than ever since Ami disappeared. What if Ami is with her right now?"

"She couldn't be. She wouldn't hide herself from the rest of us. She understands that your survival is our top priority. This is no time for fun and games, and she knows that."

"Then maybe she just bounced back from the initial shock," Usagi suggested. Not knowing what else to say about the matter, Rei shrugged and hoped Usagi was right. "Any news from Setsuna about Hotaru?" she inquired. Usagi shook her head much to Rei's dismay.

Before Rei could say anything else, a soft vibration startled her. Usagi gave her a puzzling look, which meant she didn't feel anything. Rei felt around the bed until her hand went under the pillow behind her. It was Usagi's phone, and she didn't have to guess who was calling. Without looking at the Caller ID, she showed Usagi who it was. The younger girl promptly lunged for the phone, inadvertently confirming Rei's suspicions.

Mamoru was the one calling.

Usagi climbed on top of the raven-haired girl in a brave attempt at grabbing the phone, but Rei used her free arm to hold Usagi away from her. "Rei, what's wrong with you?" Usagi groaned, annoyed at Rei's childish antics. Instead of answering the question, she answered the phone, earning an angry look from the blonde.

"Hello?"

"Rei? What are you doing on Usako's phone?"

"She's not in the room at the moment, so I thought I'd answer it for her."

"Why are you at her house?"

"None of your business," Rei answered swiftly and coldly. She grinned up at Usagi, who was still struggling. "I would tell you not to worry about it, but tonight might be the night I take her from you."

"Rei!" Usagi exclaimed, a blush creeping up on her face. She knew Rei was good at following things through, and she had a feeling the priestess wasn't joking.

"Usagi, everything okay in there?" a voice – Kenji's – from beyond the door called out. Usagi called back, saying she and Rei were fine. Looking back at Rei, she tried one final time to grab the phone away from Rei. Luckily for her, the attempt was successful.

Rei pouted as Usagi talked to Mamoru and apologized for the things she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Luna to see if she was still paying attention. The cat's eyes were closed, but her ears were twitching about. She had to have been paying attention.

Returning her attention back to Usagi, Rei noticed that Usagi's face had changed for the worst. She was frowning and seemed to be upset about something. She contemplated taking the phone away, but she didn't think that would be the appropriate thing at the moment. Instead, she waited for Usagi to end her talk with that loser. Time went on, and Usagi's body language changed yet again. Her countenance became darker as her voice began to gain hints of anger.

"No, I don't want to talk about it…Mamoru, I told you that everything is…dammit, just shut up and listen to me! It happened a long time ago, and it's none of your concern!"

Luna opened her eyes and watched Usagi warily, wondering why Usagi was getting so upset. Rei moved closer to Usagi and motioned her to hand over the phone. They locked eyes for what seemed liked forever, and Mamoru's voice seemed to get drowned out by the deafening silence in the room. Usagi lost herself and temporarily forgot what she was mad about.

"Give me the phone."

In an instant, Usagi handed over the phone while Mamoru was still talking. Rei put the phone up to her ear, and Mamoru was now yelling. The sound of his voice pierced Rei's ear in an unpleasant way, but she never stopped watching Usagi.

"Mamoru, I think she's had enough."

"You again? Why don't you leave us alone?"

"Because I'm simply being her protector."

"Fine, I accept that but keep in mind that I'm not your enemy."

"We may not be enemies, but anyone who hurts _my_ Usagi is no friend of mine."

With that, Rei hung up and put the phone far away from Usagi's reach. Their intense gaze had been broken, bringing Usagi back to reality. "You okay now?" Rei asked gently. Usagi nodded and sighed.

"Girls! Dinner is ready!" Ikuko announced from behind the door. Rei hoped that would cheer Usagi up, but it didn't seem to make her any better. Extending a hand, she helped the girl stand up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Come on, you'll feel better after you eat, okay?" Usagi nodded, hoping Rei would be right.

* * *

Setsuna's hand moved furiously as she wrote a note on a piece of paper. The pen she wrote with almost flew out of her hand a few times, but she determined to complete her thoughts. She had to make sure Haruka and Michiru knew what was going before she left for the Gates of Time. Perhaps if she looked into the past, she could figure out how Ami was taken and figure out how to defeat the enemy once and for all.

Unfortunately, she couldn't tell the house about it just yet (who knows what "Hotaru" would do if she found out), so she would leave the note somewhere where Haruka and Michiru would find it first. Then, she would leave and hope for the best.

"Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru's voice rang out, accompanied by a knock. Setsuna didn't stop writing but called back in response. "Dinner's ready!"

"Alright, be there in a bit."

Now that her concentration was broken, she hesitated to write anything more. She put the pen and paper aside – hiding it under her pillow just in case – and left the room. She knew the end was near; she only hoped there was enough time to put an end to this.

* * *

Rei sat in Usagi's bed without her leader. Instead, Luna was on her lap to keep her company. The two girls had taken turns in the shower, and Usagi was the last to go in. Now, she had time to think about how dinner had taken a turn for the awkward.

"Luna, how is her family okay with this?" Rei wondered aloud. "It's so odd." Luna laughed, understanding where this was coming from. It was still strange how they accepted that their household pet could talk, but what choice did they have?

"They asked me all this stuff! Like, is it scary? Do you wish you could be normal? Why were you born to do this?" Rei reiterated, shaking her head. "And then Usagi looked like she didn't have a problem with it at all!" Luna reminded Rei of the relief Usagi felt after she let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. Rei understood how Usagi felt, but she couldn't help but feel awkward about the situation.

"Do you think there's going be another reset?" Rei asked. "Assuming we win, of course." Luna looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. She was no Setsuna, so she couldn't give Rei a good answer. "Maybe, if Usagi wished for one," she shrugged. "She would have to use the Silver Crystal for that." Perhaps if there was a reset after the battle ended, Usagi's family and Rei's father would forget about their daughters' alternate selves, and things would go turn back to normal. Should they forget, would that mean that Takashi would go back to being the nonexistent father he had been before?

"Shield your eyes, I'm coming in!"

Usagi opened the door, revealing herself in a towel, which was wrapped tightly around her body. Rei eyed her for a few seconds, making Usagi blush. Ignoring the urge to make any moves on the naked girl, she turned her head away and looked out the window. Everything outside was dark, but she thought she saw a figure down below. She squinted, hoping she could get a better look at the person. After a minute or two, she recognized the person as Mamoru.

"Damn," she murmured. "Usagi, Mamoru is here for you." All sounds of movement subsequently ceased. Rei had the feeling Usagi hadn't finished dressing herself – and she really wanted to peek – so it seemed like she would have to talk to him herself.

"I'll handle this," the priestess sighed with annoyance. "No, I can do it myself," Usagi said, quickly dressing herself. "You can look now." Rei turned and found Usagi buttoning a very large dress shirt with pajama bottoms covering her legs from sight.

"Whose is that?" Rei asked. "My dad's," Usagi answered, giving off a weird 'Daddy's girl' vibe. "Anyway, I'll be right back."

"No, I'm coming with you. If you talk to him alone, he'll never understand that you want him to leave you alone."

The two girls glared at each other, both wanting to get their way. Not wanting anyone else to notice Mamoru outside, Usagi acquiesced and dragged Rei down the stairs with her. To avoid any suspicion, Usagi went out the back, without shoes, and met Mamoru in the front.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi whispered hotly, trying to avoid detection. "To talk to you – without her," Mamoru explained, giving Rei a dirty glance. Rei rolled her eyes. "Can you just tell her why you're here so you can leave faster?" she groaned. Mamoru wanted to retort back at her but knew this wasn't the time or place. "I just want to talk about what happened before the enemy used my body," he said. "Whatever happened is straining our relationship, and I want to fix us as best as I can. We used to be so in love, and now we don't even talk. Please, Usako. Let me fix this."

Rei's eyes hovered over Usagi, curious to see what she would decide to do. She could just barely see the anger in Usagi's eyes, thanks to the lack of light. Knowing Usagi, she would remain docile and go with whatever Mamoru said in an attempt to keep the future from changing. Rei really wanted to see something different. Ever since this battle started, Usagi had begun to transform into something else – a better, more capable individual. Even so, her old self was still there, trying to prevent her growth and development, in the form of Mamoru. Rei honestly hoped that Usagi would realize what was best for her and would make the right decision.

"Mamoru, there's nothing to fix," the blonde stated. "Like you said, we don't talk anymore, right? As far as I'm concerned, there _is_ no us. After everything that's transpired, there _is_ no relationship – we have nothing. Sure, you weren't yourself at the time, but I can't go back to whatever we were before. _I don't love you anymore_."

Everything Usagi said surprised Mamoru and Rei both. She said everything so fast, Rei wouldn't have understood what was going on if she hadn't stressed the last sentence. Eyes opened wide, Mamoru stared at his lover (or now _former_ lover) with the dullest expression Usagi had ever seen him use. Obviously, there were no more words left to say, which was great for her. Now, she felt so _free_.

"Goodnight, Mamoru. Come on, Rei, let's get some sleep."

* * *

Setsuna groaned the moment she was brought out of her sleep. There had been a series of knocks on the door that she couldn't ignore. They beckoned her, and she had to answer the call. Against her will, her body threw the sheets away and jumped out of bed. She walked to the door at a snail's pace, her eyes refusing to open.

"Fuck," she huffed as she opened the door. She opened one of her eyes slightly, barely seeing an outline of Hotaru standing nervously (she knew Setsuna didn't like to be disturbed once she fell asleep). "Hime-chan, it's late," she stated firmly with a raspy voice. "What do you need?" Hotaru shrunk under her mother's one-eyed half gaze, trying to think of a way to phrase her answer. The longer it took, the more Setsuna felt her eyes slowly opening. She saw more of the teenager and could now actually see her features. She couldn't let sleep escape her, not now!

"Sometime today, Hotaru," she sighed. Hotaru hung her head as she answered, "I had a bad dream. It was about the future…every single one of us died, and the world was in complete ruin. It was really scary, Setsuna-mama." Setsuna crossed her arms and turned her head away. She rolled her eyes at the unasked request Hotaru was driving at – if she could sleep with her mother for the night. She knew it would be a very bad idea if she let Hotaru get her way. That would make her vulnerable through the night, and there's no telling what could happen.

"Ask Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama."

"But we both know what goes on in that bed. It would take more than a regular shower to completely cleanse me."

Setsuna mentally swore, knowing Hotaru was right about that.

"You're too old to sleep in my bed. If you go back to sleep, you'll be fine. Dreams are just that – dreams. Now go to your room."

Hotaru glared at the older woman. "You and I know that that's not true," she explained. "What if we really lose this battle? What if we can't save the world this time?" Tears started to pool up in her eyes, though Setsuna could barely see them. What tipped the Time Senshi off was her voice. The younger girl was getting choked up, which threw Setsuna off guard. Well, it seemed she had no choice, huh?

"Alright, alright," Setsuna said, shaking her head. She ushered the girl inside the room and closed the door behind them. She watched Hotaru get into bed before following after her. "Just know that I won't be here in the morning," she warned. "I'll be investigating Ami's disappearance for a little bit." Hotaru didn't question her, so she nodded in acknowledgement.

Setsuna finally entered the bed next to Hotaru, not feeling as tired as she was when had first woken up. She turned her back to the girl and uttered a rushed 'Goodnight' before finally shutting her eyes. Surprisingly, nothing happened. It had been weeks since this fake Hotaru had appeared and nothing had happened. What could have happened that brought about this brief peace?

For the next hour or so, Setsuna felt herself slowly returning to the dark realm of slumber. She was almost sure that nothing would interrupt her sleep, not even the occasional shifts of the mattress (caused by Hotaru's movements). Just as she was about to slip out of consciousness, someone pulled her back into wakefulness. Setsuna's eyes opened immediately, trying to figure out what was going on. Hotaru had suddenly straddled her, pinning her arms with her knees. A sinister smile appeared on the girl's face.

"The dream I had will come true, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru grinned mockingly. She grabbed the pillow she had been 'sleeping' on and patted it. "All of you will die, and you're next." The next thing Setsuna knew, the pillow was placed over her face and effectively cut off her oxygen supply. Her lungs began to burn inside of her, and the unconsciousness she had wanted so desperately was finally coming to carry her away.

_Is Rei's suspicion of Makoto unfounded? Now that Mamoru is out of the way, will Usagi choose Rei? When will the other Senshi discover Hotaru's deception? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	15. Chapter 12: Part Two

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon._

Chapter Twelve: Part Two

Light seemed to flicker on and off as it filtered itself through the window's blinds and into Usagi's room. The clouds covered up the sun for one moment and revealed its shine seconds later. For a few hours, the warmth of the light did not interrupt the girls' slumber – they slept better because of it.

Unfortunately for Rei, the sun soon rose too high in the sky and struck her eyes with its rays. She began to stir and turned her head away from the light in order to open her eyes. By moving, she realized that Usagi's head was resting on her chest and that her arm was wrapped around the blonde tightly. Her hand was on Usagi's stomach, so she could feel the girl breathing. It was obvious that she was awake because her breaths were usually long and heavy when she was asleep. At the moment, they were short and quick, as if she were panting.

"Is there something wrong, Usagi?"

"…I had another dream again, that's all."

"Same one from before?"

"Sort of. It starts out the same with Ami and Hotaru, but there's another person at the end. They're really blurry and I can't make them out at all."

Rei sighed at the ominous tone Usagi's dream carried. Clearly her dream meant something had happened to someone else on the team. Although she wanted nothing more than to investigate the matter, she decided that right now wasn't the time. Rei assumed that the 'Mamoru Incident' was still a big thing in Usagi's mind, so perhaps it would be best to get her mind off the dream until later.

There was a loud knock on the door that made them jump. Shingo's voice was heard from behind it, telling them to hurry for breakfast. Rei quickly got out of bed so that Usagi could have room to run for the door. Surely the mention of food would raise Usagi's spirits up, right? Surprisingly, Usagi took her time. When they were both standing, they stared at each other for a long time. Usagi took an apprehensive step towards the warrior of flame and interlaced their fingers together. As much as Rei loved the contact, she pulled her hand away and opened the door for her princess.

"Too much?" Usagi frowned. Rei took a breath and nodded. "We need to talk about what happened, but we'll do it later." The raven-haired girl motioned Usagi to go exit first and avoided her eyes. The two went down the stairs silently, preparing to mask their current concerns so that only they knew something had changed.

* * *

Haruka and Michiru sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Hotaru to join them. Michiru had ventured onto the second floor before she finished making breakfast to call Setsuna and her daughter downstairs. Oddly enough, she found that Hotaru wasn't in her room. For a moment, it crossed Michiru's mind that maybe Hotaru had run off again. She kept her cool and tried opening Setsuna's door only to find that it was locked. Knocking on the door, she heard a small noise and assumed it was Hotaru. She told the girl to be down for breakfast within the next ten minutes and returned to the kitchen afterwards.

Haruka, who had been reading a newspaper, glanced at Michiru with wary eyes. Michiru tilted her head slightly, silently asking what was wrong. "How did you sleep last night?" the blonde asked. Michiru sipped her cup of tea before answering. "Not so well. You?" Haruka shook her head and sighed heavily. It was one of the weirdest nights she had ever had while sleeping with Michiru. She had slipped in and out of consciousness and had odd dreams about the senshi losing their current battle. She guessed that Michiru had been the same way since they were so in sync. They usually slept peacefully as long as they were with each other, so what made last night any different?

"Mama, papa."

Haruka and Michiru turned their heads to the sound of the voice and found Hotaru walking in. She placed a piece of paper next to Michiru, which prompted the older woman to pick it up and skim it. As she searched for keywords without having to read the whole note, she noticed that this was Setsuna's handwriting. Thinking it over, she decided to read everything entirely. Haruka stared on in curiosity as she asked, "What's it about?"

"Setsuna-mama is gone," Hotaru answered before Michiru even had the chance. "She went the Gates of Time to find a way to defeat Eris." Haruka put the newspaper down and turned her gaze to Hotaru. "Where did you find it?" the blonde questioned. Hotaru shrugged and said she found it in Setsuna's room. "What were you doing in her room?" Michiru chimed in. "You know she doesn't like anyone being in there."

"I had a weird dream last night about the world being lost in darkness, and I got scared," Hotaru explained quietly. "I went to Setsuna-mama and told her about it. She let me sleep with her after that." Haruka and Michiru stared at each other instantly after hearing the word 'dream.' It wasn't a coincidence that the three had had a dream about the worst-case scenario, and it made the older senshi wonder if Setsuna had had any dreams before leaving for the Gates.

As Hotaru sat at the table, Michiru passed Haruka the letter. The vibes she got from the aqua-haired woman felt off, and the eye contact they shared for a few seconds gave her a chill. The older woman turned her gaze to the letter and began reading it. At first, she didn't see anything wrong about it. All it said was exactly what Hotaru had told them (along with a few jokes to lighten the mood). Luckily for her, she read it over repeated until she saw what Michiru had seen.

* * *

"It's been a while since we've been like this, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I suppose it has."

"Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did, silly."

A heavy yet brief pause.

"When will you tell the others?"

"Soon, I promise. I just want to surprise them is all."

"I don't think it's a good idea considering the problem at hand."

"Don't worry about it. They'll forgive me either way."

* * *

_Rei and Usagi had successfully reentered the house without disturbing anyone. Rei noted how Usagi's face switched from aggravation to pure elation on their way back to her room. Rei didn't know if this was a good sign or not, but she decided not to dwell on it. Once up the stairs, Usagi opened her bedroom door and was met with a light so bright that both her and Rei had to shield their eyes. She immediately turned off the light and trekked over to her bed. Rei slipped in next to her and found herself in Usagi's clutches._

"_I feel really…happy," Usagi whispered. Unmoving, Rei agreed. "I didn't think it would be so easy to just let him go like that," Usagi went on. "I had thought he was my other half for so long, but I understand that he wasn't the one for me at all." The blonde buried her face in Rei's shoulder, and the priestess could feel a smile forming on her skin. "I'm glad that you're happy," Rei said simply, not knowing what else say._

"_I'm so happy, I could…"_

_Usagi released Rei and stared at her intensely in the dark. Rei asked her to finish her statement (the suspense was getting to her). Usagi leaned forward and pecked Rei on the cheek, whispering, "It's nothing. Let's get some rest."_

"_Not until you tell me what you're talking about."_

"_You really want to know?"_

"_Obviously, or else I wouldn't have expressed interest."_

_Ignoring Rei's answer, she put her arms around Rei again and kissed her cheek a second time. "I'm so happy, I could kiss you." Rei stayed silent and closed her eyes. She felt Usagi trying to get closer, although there was already no space between them. On a regular day, such a situation would have been great, and Rei wouldn't have any complaints. However, Usagi wasn't thinking very clearly at all, and she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer._

_So without wasting any more time, their lips met and spent the rest of the night in each other's arms._

* * *

Oddly enough, the Crown Fruit Parlor was rather empty. Then again, Usagi hadn't entered the establishment in months, so she wouldn't have known if the little café had been getting any business recently. On second thought, maybe it wasn't a good idea for to bring Rei here. What if someone walked in and sat in a booth next to them? That would be so weird! The person would be able to here every single word that they spoke, and that wouldn't be cool at all.

The two sat in silence, wondering who would speak first. Usagi barely touched her drink, while Rei regularly sipped her water. Rei tried to lower the awkwardness level by acting calm and collected, but she couldn't deny the fact that the silence was bothering her as well.

"Look," Rei sighed, "last night shouldn't have happened. I don't appreciate being used a quick rebound and it won't happen again."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Usagi mumbled with her head bowed. "Still, you should have said something…"

"Like what? How do I stop a girl who makes sure she gets what she wants? Especially when she suddenly gets all _horny_."

"Not so loud!" Usagi whispered heatedly, blushing hard at the taboo word. She sunk down in her seat, admitting that Rei had a point. "It's not that I was…_aroused_ randomly or anything," she tried to explain. "I was just happy."

"That's a weird way to show to show it."

Usagi huffed and crossed her arms in defeat, knowing what she did was wrong. She apologized once more and asked, "How about we just pretend it never happened? You know, so it's not weird anymore." Rei shrugged, finishing her water and setting it aside. As long as Usagi felt better, it didn't matter how they handled it. The two sat in silence again, although it wasn't as bad as before. Just as they began to stare into space, Rei's phone rang. She became alert and answered it quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rei-chan, are you free right now by any chance?"

Rei was surprised at the voice. It wasn't everyday Haruka called her. "Yeah, I am. Why, what's up?"

"I called Usagi-chan earlier, but she didn't answer. I figured maybe you would be the next best person to call."

"Usagi's with me right now actually."

"That's great. Is it okay if I swing by the shrine for a bit?"

"Sure, that's fine. We'll be right over."

Rei put her phone away and nodded to Usagi. "Walk me home?" she asked as she stood up. Usagi gave her a curious look as she followed the taller girl. "But all your stuff is at my house," she pointed out. "I'll pick it up later. First we have to meet Haruka-san at my place," Rei explained.

* * *

Rei and Usagi reached the top of the steps to see Haruka standing before the shrine. It seemed as though she was staring at something, but they couldn't tell. They continued walking towards her, their steps alerting her. "That was quick," she said as she turned to face them. She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Usagi blushed and looked down, but Rei didn't give her the satisfaction. "What is it that you need?"

"Do you mind if we sit down and talk," the blonde asked. "I'm actually here on _business_." Rei echoed that last word in her head as she led Usagi and Haruka to the kitchen. Although she knew Haruka never contacted her for anything but business, she had still hoped that Haurka was just here for a visit. Once they were inside, they all sat down at the table and stared at each other for a moment.

"Setsuna's gone," Haruka stated briefly. "She left a letter saying that she went to the Time Gates – something about investigating some foul play." Usagi tilted her head slightly, wondering if she was talking about Ami. Neither of the teenagers said a word, and waited for Haruka to continue. "Although I know for a fact that Setsuna wrote it, I also know that she's not at the Gates," she explained. "There was something she wrote in it that makes me suspicious." Rei crossed her arms and slid down in her chair. If Setsuna was really taken from them, then they were in big trouble. Ami and Setsuna were two of the main strategists the Senshi had – one for the Inners and the other for the Outers. Now that Setsuna was gone, what would they do? How many more of the senshi would they dispose of until they were ready to end everything in one final battle?

"Do you have the letter with you?" the priestess asked. Haruka shook her head. "Unfortunately, Hotaru has it," she sighed. "Why unfortunately?" Usagi piped up. Haruka sighed heavily again as she stared up at the ceiling. It seemed as though she was having trouble with whatever she was trying to say. "I didn't want to believe it, but it's obvious she had something to do with it," she said. "I didn't catch on to it at first, but the way Setsuna wrote that letter…she wrote it in a way that only Michiru and I could understand."

Haruka laughed for a minute as she reviewed her statement in her head. She realized that it probably didn't make any sense to her teammates. "I don't really know how to say it, but she put a hidden code or a subliminal message in the letter," she tried to explain. "The inside jokes she made, the emphasis on protecting you, Usagi-chan, and watching Hotaru (which was very blatant) made everything so clear."

"So what was she trying to say?" Usagi asked. The dramatic silence Haruka held annoyed Rei, but she didn't say anything. Although this was a very serious matter, Haruka had a habit of making everything seem worse than it already was. "Something along the lines of 'Destroy her now – she's not one of us.' I could be exaggerating, but that's what it looked like to me," the blonde answered.

Usagi frowned at their current problem. Now Haruka and Michiru knew about Hotaru, and Setsuna even wanted them to take action against her. How would they follow through with that? How would they – how _could_ they – kill Hotaru? Sure, this wasn't actually the friend they knew, but this enemy had her likeness! The shell of what once was lingered around with an evil soul inhabiting it. Perhaps there was a way to purge it without destroying the shell. There had to be something they could do!

"So what will you do?" Rei asked. "Will you wait like Setsuna did and risk your life, or will you do something about her now?" Haruka raised an eyebrow and began tapping the table. She was thinking about it, but she didn't know how to go about it. This was her daughter they were talking about! She knew what she had to do, but would she able to do it?

"Michiru and I will figure this out," the blonde answered finally. "We'll take her out as soon as possible." Haruka stood up and patted both girls on the shoulder with assurance. She then saw herself out, hoping that she could actually stick to her word. After all, the whole point was to protect the princess.

-End Chapter Twelve: Part Two-

_Where are Rei and Usagi in their relationship? Will Haruka really kill Hotaru? Who is the enemy's next target? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	16. Chapter 13

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Thirteen

"You know, I should probably go. It's getting late."

"But you'll be home by yourself!"

"What's new? Besides, I don't want to impose on your family any longer. One night is enough."

Usagi frowned as she watched Rei gather her stuff from her bed. The priestess had reluctantly stayed with her after their brief meeting with Haruka, but now the older girl felt as though she had overstayed her welcome. Of course, she could have stayed for as long as she pleased (what could Usagi's parents say to members of _the_ Sailor Senshi?), but she didn't want to take advantage of that privilege. It was getting dark anyway, so she needed to get home soon.

"We need to start making moves anyway," Rei said, finally looking Usagi in the eye. The blonde tilted her head in curiosity, prompting Rei to explain, "We need to gather the rest of the girls and figure out what to do with Eris. We're already down three teammates, so we need to win this battle as quickly as possible." Usagi considered her friend's words and figured she was right. Between losing the team's smartest soldiers and having Haruka take 'Hotaru' out of commission, they were losing time and focus with each passing day. The Sailor Senshi were spiraling out of control, and it seemed as though they wouldn't be able to recover from this.

Rei snapped the girl out of her thoughts by kissing her forehead and smiling. The gaze they shared was so intense that Usagi didn't know whether or not to say something to her or to look away. The love that those amethyst orbs transmitted was enough to drive her crazy and make her reenact the previous night's events. Of course, that would completely ruin the moment, and she didn't want something like lust to direct her actions.

"So I'll talk to you later, okay?" Rei asked in a small whisper. Usagi nodded her head vigorously, which pleased Rei. Who knew Usagi would actually be anxious to talk to her? Although the attention was stemming from the lack of Mamoru, she liked it all the same. As long as she made sure that they didn't do something that they would regret (again), Usagi could give her all the signals she wanted.

Rei walked towards the door when she heard a communicator going off. The sound was coming from Usagi's dresser, where it was sitting and patiently waiting for someone to grab it. Usagi got out of bed and picked it up quickly, opening it up to see who was calling. The face on the screen was Makoto, whose expression was impossible to read.

"Hey, Usagi," she started, "I know it's getting dark, but we have to talk about the battle at hand. Please, come by my apartment as soon as you can." The transmission ended immediately, puzzling the girls thoroughly. They couldn't really argue with that, and if Makoto was calling them one by one, it would only be a matter of time until she called Rei as well. They resolved to go to Makoto's apartment to figure out what was going on.

* * *

Upon their arrival, the two had met Minako on the way up. They greeted each other and exchanged quick pleasantries before going completely silent. Although Minako noticed that Rei had a bag of clothes with her for some odd reason, Makoto's sudden call was on her mind. Makoto had been distant for a really long time, so this had to be very important if she was on speaking terms with everyone.

The walk down the hallway seemed longer than it really was, but they eventually stood in front of Makoto's door. Minako knocked lightly against the wood, a sense of foreboding hanging around her. The door quickly opened to reveal Makoto, who began rushing them inside. They all sat down on her couch, waiting for the brunette to join them, but she remained standing.

"So what's all this about?" Minako spoke first. Makoto's serious face gave way to a grin, which caught the girls off guard. "I have a surprise for you," she answered. "I have a feeling that you're going to like it." Makoto disappeared to her bedroom, leaving the girls by themselves. Seconds later, Makoto ran back in with a familiar face in tow. Usagi and Minako shared a look of disbelief as their jaws dropped to the floor. Rei's heart stopped for a moment and she forgot to breathe upon the sight of her long lost friend, Mizuno Ami.

Minako was the first person to jump up and envelop the girl into a hug, shaking her left and right in the throes of excitement. She asked where Makoto had found her and where Ami had been, but she never let the girl answer. She was so happy that she just kept going on and on and on. Meanwhile, Usagi and Rei were frozen in their seats, instantly knowing something was wrong. They looked at each other, confirming that something evil was lurking about, and turned back to Ami. She was physically the same as she was before, but there was something off about her. They felt the same thing they felt from Hotaru, and that was no good.

Ami caught their glance and stopped Minako. She walked up to them with a worried look on her face and asked, "What's wrong?" While Usagi moved away from her subtly, Rei hopped out of her seat and moved farther away. "You're not Ami," Rei spat. "What have you done with her?" Before Ami could get a word out, Makoto interjected, "What are you talking about, Rei-chan? This is _our_ Ami! She's always been on our side!" Rei shook her head and quickly glanced at Usagi. Usagi nodded and grabbed Ami's hand, bringing her down to her side. She stared deeply into the blue-haired girl's eyes, which kind of scared the younger girl a bit. Usagi was the one who was acting strange, if anything.

After a few seconds, Usagi stood up and joined Rei's side. "She's right," she frowned. "That's not our Ami-chan at all." Makoto and Minako stared at each other, at Ami, and then at Rei and Usagi. Something they didn't know was going on, and they had to get to the bottom of this. "What do you mean?" Minako asked. "How could this be anyone but Ami-chan?"

"Tell me, where were you this entire time?" Rei asked, trying to prove a point. "I was trying to find where we could access the enemy's hideout," Ami answered confidently. "I have lots of data on my Super Computer if you'd like to see it. There's a sort of time-space rift that we can exploit just outside of the downtown area. We can end this sooner than we thought."

"Why haven't you gone back home? Does your mother know your back?

"Not yet, but I wanted to surprise you guys first. I know I caused a big scare, but I wanted to reassure you that I'm alright."

Makoto gave Rei a smug grin, but the shrine maiden was not impressed. Ami would have never ventured alone to find out something like that. Although she was the smartest person any of them knew, it would have taken her so much longer to do all of this by herself. She would have had nothing to work off of, and she would have asked someone for help. To top it all off, Makoto was definitely not the first person she would have gone to after a disappearance like that. Like the sensible person she was, she would have gone home first, contacted Makoto afterwards, and then talked to the rest of the team. Rei was ready to point out all the flaws in Ami's story, but she didn't want an argument breaking out. Makoto would never let this go, so Rei shrugged with a defeated sigh. She decided to leave before things got crazy, leaving Usagi behind.

The blonde frowned and inched away towards the door. She saw the bewilderment in her friends' eyes and felt tears building up in her own. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, at least not without Rei beside her. She didn't know what else to say without Makoto freaking out, so she figured it would be best to leave and catch up with Rei. However, Minako jumped in front of the door and held her at arm's length.

"What's going on?" she asked softly. With Makoto and Ami behind her and Minako in front of her, Usagi was trapped. She just stared at Minako, determined not to cry. Everything was spinning out of her control and she couldn't stop the madness that was going on around her. The team was falling apart on both the Inner and Outer fronts, and the enemy was already doing an inside job. Her leadership skills were lacking, and there was nothing she could do about it. The enemy was winning, and there was no way to fight back! Why couldn't she be stronger? Why couldn't she save her friends?

"Usagi-chan?"

Coming back to reality, Usagi realized that Minako was still holding her and trying to get information out of her. She felt the pressure all around her, so she allowed herself to crack. Perhaps this way she could escape from this awkward moment. She let a tear drop; and then another; and then another. Her legs gave out, causing her to drop down to the floor. Minako sunk down with her and tried to console her. As she sat crying, she heard Minako tell the others that they would leave for a little bit and come back later.

That's just what Usagi needed.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Minako and Usagi stood outside of the apartment building silently. Usagi had stopped crying, and Minako was waiting for an explanation. Minako had suggested they take a walk, but Usagi knew it wasn't a good idea. They couldn't leave Ami and Makoto by themselves completely. Anything could have happened while they were gone. Usagi had the intention of returning and apologizing to Makoto (and putting an end to that fake Ami if Minako was on board with her).

"Our Ami-chan…is dead," Usagi sighed. "The moment it happened, I didn't feel anything. Usually, I know when you all are gone – I feel your lives slipping from reality…but not hers." She paused for a moment to take in Minako's expression. She obviously wanted to lash out and try to convince her leader otherwise, but there was more that needed to be said.

"When I touched her hand, it was so cold. And her eyes…"

Minako leaned closer when Usagi paused and looked away. "What about them?" she asked urgently. "…They were so devoid of life," Usagi whispered. "We lost her, Minako-chan, and she wasn't the only one." Minako went into her Senshi state of mind as her face grew dark. "Who else?" she asked.

"Hotaru-chan and Setsuna-san."

"What? Why didn't you say anything to the rest of us?" Minako exclaimed. "Setsuna-san wanted Rei and I to stay quiet until we got a handle on the situation," Usagi answered meekly. "But now that we've made that mistake, we have to tackle the problem head on. The first step: we need to go back and destroy that fake." This whole thing was very bizarre and very short notice for Minako's taste, but she knew that her princess wasn't playing games. How could she lie about something as huge as this? To confirm everything, Rei had felt the exact same way and even left.

"Then let's go and get to the bottom of this," Minako said. She led Usagi inside and went up to Makoto's floor. They opened the door, ready to find Ami and Makoto somewhere in the living room. To their extreme dismay, they were nowhere to be found.

* * *

The lights had been turned all the way down, so everything was covered in darkness. It was unsettling, yet comforting at the same time. The thought of Hotaru killing her where she sat was stuck in the back of Michiru's mind, but she knew Hotaru wouldn't strike just yet. Luckily, Haruka was with her on the couch, holding her close as if to protect her.

"Are you prepared?" the blonde asked softly. Michiru nuzzled into the crook of her neck and sighed heavily. "I wish it didn't have to come to this – again," she said. The days of trying to kill Hotaru were over. Hotaru was under their care now; she might as well have been their _real_ daughter. At this point, they were supposed to fight _with_ her, not against her.

"I know, but it's our duty to protect the princess," Haruka said, kissing the top of Michiru's head. "We've already let too much time pass." Michiru agreed and tried to put her motherly rationality away. As an Outer Senshi, she had a reputation to maintain and a princess to protect. Although she had been in this business longer than Haruka, she still wasn't as good as Haruka was at masking her emotions (yet). Perhaps tonight's events would serve as practice.

* * *

As cars passed by, Rei noted how she was the only one walking the dim streets of Juuban. Still, she knew she wasn't alone. An unwelcome presence was near, but she did nothing about. Why not give this person a chance and see what was going on? She turned a corner and saw Mamoru standing a few feet away. She sighed as he started walking beside her but did not tell him to leave.

"Any updates?" he asked. Rei shrugged nonchalantly, "Dunno yet. We might get all the Senshi we need after tonight. You'll know when it's over." Mamoru nodded and patted her shoulder, congratulating her on a job well done. He stopped walking and let Rei continue by herself. Her task was complete for now, and it was up to the boss to take care of the rest.

* * *

"Fuck!"

"Minako-chan, calm down!"

"How am I supposed to do that? We're too late!"

Minako sunk to her knees and hung her head. Ami had gotten to Makoto right under her nose. Now the only ones who remained were Usagi, Rei, Haruka, Michiru, and herself. She believed the remaining Outers could handle themselves, but what about the Inners? With what they were reduced to, they were nowhere near as strong as Haruka and Michiru! Did this mark the defeat of the Sailor Senshi? There was no way they could win like this!

"Rei!" Usagi suddenly exclaimed. "We can't leave her alone; we have to stick together from now on!" Minako nodded, and the two immediately set out to find Rei. Knowing her, she probably went home. They ran the whole way, ignoring their bodies and pushing them to the limit. When they reached the shrine, they stopped to catch their breath for a few seconds. The stairs were very daunting, but now wasn't the time for breaks. Racing up the steps, they called out Rei's name. Of course the first place they checked was Rei's room. Upon seeing her on her bed, they sighed in relief.

The raven-haired girl gave them an odd look and didn't know if she wanted to ask what they were screaming about. "What's wrong with you two?" she inquired slowly. Between breaths, Minako blurted, "Mako-chan…and Ami-chan…are gone!" Rei scoffed and murmured, "Figures."

"Rei!"

"Love clouded her better judgment, and you guys know it," Rei said smoothly. "There were so many things wrong with 'Ami,' and yet she fell for it. The Mako-chan I know is way smarter than that." Unfortunately for them, Rei was right. "Then what do we do now?" Minako asked almost desperately. "We protect each other," Rei answered. "We don't know who's next, if there's another target." Usagi nodded as she turned to Minako. Grabbing her friend's hands, she smiled, "I'll make sure that we survive this and bring our friends back. I promise." Minako nodded with renewed vigor and hope. Rei cracked a smile reluctantly at the sight of the two smiling blondes. Perhaps they really could win with what was left of the team.

* * *

Even through the darkness, Michiru could see the blood on the floor. Some of it was hers, some of it was Haruka's, but most of it was Hotaru's. Despite the collateral damage, Hotaru was still standing. Why wouldn't she die?

The three were at deadlock. They stared at each other warily, waiting for someone to make a move. Michiru knew that Haruka's movements had become very predictable to Hotaru. Without the aid of her Senshi powers, she was just an unstoppable, brute force. Well, almost unstoppable. Haruka was very light on her feet and her punches and jabs were pretty quick too, but her grabs had a slow start. Little Hotaru could find a way to maneuver out of Haruka's grasp, and that lied the problem.

Michiru knew that her own fighting wasn't that great, but she was very good at weaving out of reach and finding weak points. At the beginning of this dreaded battle, Haruka and Hotaru fought it out while she caught Hotaru off guard. When Hotaru had been too busy to notice Michiru, she would grab the girl and smash her against the wall headfirst. At first, she didn't notice the blood smeared on the wall. Unfortunately, the stench came soon after Haruka and Michiru weakened the girl a considerable amount. She wished Hotaru would just give up. The house was wrecked enough as it was because of the fighting.

"Give up, and we'll make it quick," Haruka snarled. Hotaru simply laughed and lunged towards the blonde. While they were trading blows, Michiru figured that a weapon might turn the tides in their favor. She rushed to the kitchen and found a knife in one of the drawers. She ran back to the action and found Haruka in a corner with Hotaru blocking her way. For a very brief second, they shared eye contact. Michiru inched closer as quietly as she could. With Hotaru's back facing her, she could bring Hotaru out of her misery with just one stab. Haruka tried to distract Hotaru with attempting to escape the corner, but Hotaru pushed her back into place.

"Well, this looks like the end for you, _Haruka-papa_," Hotaru sneered. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick." As Hotaru was ready to land the final blow, Michiru began charging at her with the knife aimed at Hotaru's back. This was it. Hotaru would no longer be a threat, and the remainder of the team would be safe.

The next few moments were a blur for Michiru. She felt the knife pierce through flesh until it could go no further. It was an odd feeling since she had never killed someone with this weapon of choice before. The air shifted when she saw Haruka's face. Was she surprised that Michiru of all people had killed their daughter? Or did the thought of it make her cringe in terror (or even pain)? How did she get so close to Haruka anyway?

Warm blood spilled on to the shorter woman's hands, bringing her a shocking revelation. Something had gone terribly wrong, and Hotaru had won. Haruka and Michiru stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Michiru's eyes filled with tears as the guilt welled up inside of her; Haruka closed her own and grasped the aqua-haired woman's trembling hands. Together, they slid the knife out of Haruka's body and let the blood slip out. Haruka fell to the floor as she pressed her hand against her wound.

"That hurt," Haruka tried to laugh. "Nice try though." Her sense of humor wasn't comforting her lover. "Michiru, it's all going to be fine," she whispered. "Usagi…she'll win and everything will…return to normal."

"Wishful thinking will get you nowhere."

Michiru didn't bother to look behind her because she knew who was there. This was the end of the Outer Senshi, and it was up to the others to defeat the enemy.

_Whose side is Rei on? Is the final confrontation close at hand? How are the remaining Senshi going to win this fight? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	17. The Final Act: Chapter 14

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon._

The Final Act: Chapter Fourteen

"Usagi-chan? Hey, Earth to Usagi-chan?"

"What just happened?"

"I don't know. It's like she's in a trance."

Minako and Rei stared at Usagi as she sat by the door, her eyes wide and empty. They feared touching her because they assumed she would be easily startled. Minutes passed and Usagi remained motionless. Simply watching her didn't make them feel any better, but they didn't know what else to do. Tears formed in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, alarming her protectors. Minako reached out for the other blonde, but Rei held her back. Soon enough, Usagi gasped as if she hadn't been able to breathe the entire time. She tried to use sheer willpower to stop crying, but the tears were relentless.

"Usagi, what just happened?" Rei asked urgently as she released Minako. Usagi hung her head and watched the tears fall on the floor. She balled her hands into fists and began trembling with a mixture of anger and sadness. Minako held her close in an attempt to calm her down, but it wasn't very effective.

"Haruka-san…she's…she's gone," Usagi whispered. Minako and Rei turned to each other, their eyes wide with shock. Their only hope was Michiru, assuming that she hadn't been taken along with Haruka. If she was still alive, the four of them could figure something out. As long as they were together, they could win this battle, right?

"What about Michiru-san?" Minako asked. The mention of the sea Senshi's name brought more tears to Usagi's eyes. Her body shook as she openly sobbed in front of her friends. Minako knew the other blonde's response was enough, so she didn't press any further.

Minako held onto her leader and stared at Rei with uncertainty. There was nothing that they could do at this point except confront Eris themselves. They were the only ones left, and they couldn't afford to let their low number of three dwindle to nothing. The only problem they faced was actually finding Eris.

Rei mirrored her expression as she shrugged. She too didn't know how to proceed without Eris actually bringing them to the battlefield. Without the rest of the team, there was no way they had enough energy to teleport to their destination, wherever that was. The more she thought about it, the more she remembered Ami talking about her 'findings'. If she wasn't lying, then they would be able to gain access to Eris's domain. It was worth a shot, since they didn't have anything else to go on.

"What if Ami-chan was right?"

Usagi and Minako looked up to Rei and stared curiously. Usagi tried to quiet herself to listen to Rei's idea, only letting out a few hiccups here and there. Minako rubbed her back comfortingly, and it seemed to have a positive effect.

"When we were at Mako-chan's place, Ami-chan said something about finding an access point to wherever Eris's location is," Rei explained. "Apparently, it's somewhere outside of the downtown area. I think we should go there and explore. We have no other leads, so it necessarily won't be a waste of time."

The other girls nodded. It was a good idea, and they didn't have anything else to lose at this point. If anything, Eris was waiting for them somewhere, hoping they would find her so that she could finish them off. It was a scary thought, but they didn't have time to be afraid. Although there were only three of them left, they still had to keep hope alive.

Huddling together, they clung to each other as tightly as they could. Rei looked into her friends' eyes and saw the fear rooted inside of their soul. Minako tried to maintain a look of determination, but the priestess saw past the blonde's 'leader' front. Usagi, still trying to recover, looked as though she were going to begin crying all over again. Rei shared their feelings and it showed. Now wasn't the time to act tough or be strong for the others.

"We'll get through this," the raven-haired girl declared. "We'll save the Earth again, just like always." Minako and Usagi stayed silent, but they nodded to agree. They remained close for the next few minutes just in case. For all they knew, this would be the last time they would see each other again.

* * *

Together, the three girls explored the downtown area. They all carried the same thought – _if we separate, we'll lose someone else_. Sticking close to each other, they walked side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder. The streets weren't very crowded since it was nighttime. The only people who dared to roam the streets were street vendors who were closing up shop and the sketchy lunatics who wandered around aimlessly. The three made sure not to stand out too much as they searched for signs of Eris.

Usagi led the three oddly enough. Her leader instincts were kicking in, and that was what her friends needed the most. When they left the shrine for the last time, she had decided it was time to be strong. During this battle so far, she had let her feelings dictate her actions and now she was paying for it. The majority of her team – her support system and very essence of life – had been taken away from her. It was time to take back what was hers; she was ready to end this fight once and for all.

Minako and Rei followed Usagi like sheep even though she didn't know where she was going herself. They barely spoke two words whenever Usagi suggested they try going in a different direction. The suspense was building inside of them as they checked every crook and cranny, and it was killing them.

When they ran out of places to check, they stopped walking. They stood above a lamppost in case of an unwanted encounter. Usagi sighed and smiled in order to lift their spirits. They slowly matched her expression, but it didn't change their dejection.

"Hey, Rei-chan," Usagi said, "Did you feel anything off at all since we've been here?" Rei shrugged, "A little bit, but it's been consistent everywhere we've been."

"What do you mean?"

"No place is more or less 'evil' than another."

Minako crossed her arms and frowned. Fake Ami had lied about an access point to Eris's location, and this had been a big waste of time after all. The others saw her frustration but didn't know how to make her feel better. They were running around in circles like idiots, and the fact that Eris hadn't shown her face in so long wasn't helping this either. As more time passed, the battle felt like it had been lost and there was no way to recover.

"Let's go back home," Minako suggested. "We can figure this out tomorrow. It's not like we're in a rush or anything." The sarcasm in Minako's voice slapped them across the face. It had been unexpected yet completely justified.

"Is it okay to separate?" Usagi frowned. "Would I be able to see both of you in the morning?" Minako couldn't answer that question, so she shrugged without looking in Usagi's eyes.

"Then let's stay at the shrine. That way we won't have anything to worry about," Rei chimed in. Both blondes agreed, although Minako didn't want to resort to that. Besides the obvious awkwardness she would endure while being with Rei and Usagi, she didn't like being reminded that they were the only ones left.

* * *

Rei and Usagi were getting ready for bed when Minako poked her head through the small opening of the door. "I'm off to bed," she announced with a smile. Rei frowned, having told her friend that she didn't have to sleep in her grandfather's room. She had extra futons that they all could have used so that things didn't have to get awkward. Unfortunately, Minako wouldn't have that and decided to leave her and Usagi alone. "Alright, we'll see you in the morning," Rei sighed.

"Goodnight, Minako-chan," Usagi said, wishing morning would draw near faster. Minako waved goodbye before closing the door all the way. Neither of the remaining girls said a word as Usagi let down her hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror thoughtfully and ran her fingers through her golden tresses. She noticed Rei staring at her, but she said nothing of it. She turned her attention to Rei's transformation pen and her own compact on the dresser. Part of her wished that she had never received that compact in the first place. Because of it, her closest friends were gone. However, she couldn't ignore that the compact, and ultimately her destiny, had brought everyone together, making her previous thought null and void.

When they decided it was time to sleep, Usagi turned off the light and crawled into bed next to Rei. She held Rei as tightly as she could without squeezing too hard. If Eris wanted Rei, she would have to rip the shrine maiden from her clutches. Usagi was determined to put an end to the pain and suffering.

"Can I tell you something, Rei-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Whatever we are – I mean, whatever feelings we have… how can I say it…?"

Rei silenced the blonde with a finger to her lips. "Whatever you're trying to say can wait until after this is over," she said. "Once all of our friends are back with us and are completely normal, we can talk about it."

Usagi frowned, grateful that Rei couldn't see the blush creeping up her face. "No, Rei-chan, I have to say it now," she insisted. "I know that you have feelings for me, and I'm sorry that you've had to keep them pent up for so long. Given the situation, I can't say that I feel the same way about you – not confidently at least. Things have been really confusing since Eris appeared and Mamoru changed, but I can say that you have a special place in my heart."

Rei rolled her eyes. She had wanted to avoid this from the moment she had let her feelings known. The apparent rejection snapped her heart in two and made her blood boil. Usagi being in her bed, clinging to her like this, only added insult to injury.

"So that's why," Usagi continued, "whatever we are, whatever you want to call us, I want to continue to be that so that when we win, we can start over without pretending like nothing happened. We can start off the right way without walking on eggshells or sneaking around. Is that okay?"

Rei's temper vanished in an instant. She had been expecting something completely different but was glad Usagi would give her a chance after the battle was won. Mamoru was still a big issue, but they could cross that bridge when they got to it.

"Yeah, that's fine," the raven-haired girl finally responded. She held Usagi close to her and kissed the top of her head. Usagi smiled and nuzzled into the form of Rei's body, where she soon fell asleep. Rei wanted to follow suit but found that she could not. As the minutes ticked away, an evil feeling enveloped her senses. It made her stomach lurch violently, making her feel sick.

Wiggling her way out of Usagi's grip, she made her way to the bathroom in case she simply had to vomit. Wherever this evil thing was, its power was overwhelming. Rei automatically guessed that Eris was probably somewhere in the shrine, but the energy she sensed wasn't getting closer or farther away. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying figure out what was going. The sick feeling she had in her stomach reached its peak and it made Rei too weak to stand. Her vision began to fade, and that was when she realized it – the evil that she was sensing was her all along.

* * *

Usagi woke up with a heavy heart, but she didn't know why. Her sleep was peaceful for the most part, and she couldn't remember having any nightmares. As her vision became clearer, she noticed that Rei was no longer in bed with her. Now she understood something was wrong. She whipped the blanket off her body and swung her legs over the edge, ready to find Rei. She left the room in a hurry, barely remembering to grab her compact. She checked the kitchen, the bathroom, and even the meditation room, but there was no trace of the shrine maiden. The only place left to look was Rei's grandfather's room, where Minako had slept. She hoped that both of the girls were in there, but the only way she could find out was by entering. Whether she was ready or not, she swallowed her fears and pressed on.

She slid the door open to find Rei on her hands and knees in the middle of the floor, trembling and breathing heavily. Usagi couldn't see her face, but it was obvious that was in some sort of pain. Usagi's eyes darted to the bed where Minako should have been but wasn't.

"Rei-chan, what happened? Where's Minako?"

Rei didn't answer, which caused Usagi to walk towards her. When she knelt beside her, Rei shoved her back with all her might. "Stay away!" she exclaimed. She lifted her head and looked Usagi dead in the eyes. "You have to get out of here. I'm trying as hard as I can to hold back."

Usagi tried not to show how scared she was on the inside, but she was sure that Rei could tell anyway. She was frozen in place, mostly because she was confused. Rei wasn't making any sense, and Minako was gone. "What are you holding back? And where's Minako? What's happening, Rei-chan?"

"I killed her! I'll kill you too if you don't get out of here!"

Usagi couldn't will herself to move. How could she leave when Rei was in trouble? Even if she did leave, where else could she go? Rei would be gone and Sailor Moon would be the only remaining Senshi left. Without anyone to protect her, Eris would finally be able to defeat her and bring the world into darkness.

"Usagi, what are you still doing here? Leave now!"

Usagi gained some feeling in her body and embraced Rei. "I'm not going to leave you alone like this," Usagi said. "You're all I have left."

"I've been here all night trying to hold back the evil that's inside me," Rei growled. "If I let my guard down for a second, it's over for us. Run while you still can."

If what Rei was saying was the truth, then there was no way she could run away and expect to be safe. The final battle was fast approaching, and there was no away to avoid it. Usagi bit her lip as she devised a plan in her head. She didn't want things to end like this, but now she had to make the hardest decision of her life.

"Let go." Usagi released Rei and smiled at her confusion. It was subtle, the blonde knew, but that statement was the only way she could get Rei to let her guard down. "I promise you, it'll be fine," Usagi whispered. "You've protected me long enough. Now it's my turn to fight for you – for everyone."

Words couldn't find their way out of Rei's mouth, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. She hung her head and tried to think about Usagi for as long as she could. The more she relaxed her muscles, the faster her body failed her. Ever since she had gained consciousness in this room, she had been trying so hard to keep her eyes open. She assumed she hadn't gotten any sleep after what happened to Minako – thankfully, she couldn't remember it – so she had been here in the center of the room keeping the evil at bay. Usagi was allowing her rest, and she couldn't be more grateful.

"We all believe in you, Usagi."

Rei lunged at Usagi, holding her body as close as possible. Usagi wasn't sure what Rei was doing, but she wasn't going to fight it. In fact, she returned the embrace. She shut her eyes and dulled all of her senses except for her touch. She could barely feel Rei breathing on top of her, and she felt so cold. Rei's love, her life, was fading away.

The cold soon spread to Usagi. It felt like a thick blanket covering her, but she wasn't alarmed in the slightest. She knew she and Rei would be taken to the battlefield, courtesy of Eris. She didn't dare open her eyes; the darkness her eyelids provided was enough for her. She held Rei even closer and prepared herself for the last fight.

The very first thing Usagi heard when she gained consciousness was a bunch of snickers. The laughs were familiar, but she figured her mind was playing tricks on her. She quickly stood to her feet and checked herself for her compact. Looking all around her, she found it beside her feet. Picking it up, she quickly transformed before anyone had the chance to ambush her while in civilian form. Her hair magically went back to its usual style, and she had the benefit of not having to fight in her nightclothes (or more accurately, Rei's nightclothes).

"You're finally up, Sailor Moon. Welcome to my lovely abode."

Sailor Moon frantically swung her head left and right, hoping to find the originator of the voice. She knew Eris was somewhere nearby, but the darkness was too thick to see through. As if on cue, the darkness lifted slightly, enough to see Mamoru and all of her friends standing feet away from her. They smirked wickedly at her, including Rei. Their eyes were dull, and Sailor Moon could tell that there was no life behind them. Considering that they killed each other off, it came to her as no surprise.

Eris casually walked out of the darkness behind the Senshi and stood between the two opposing forces. "As you can clearly see, your friends have all abandoned you – as they rightfully should have," the woman sneered.

"I'll never forgive you for taking them from me," Sailor Moon said calmly. Although she was angry, she couldn't let herself get carried away. She was planning on saving all of her aggression for the Senshi. She knew she would have to fight them eventually.

"While I admit to taking their bodies, I never laid a finger on them," Eris grinned. "I'm sure Rei can explain it better than I can. It was her plan after all."

Mars took a step forth automatically. The other girls cheered and snickered as if they were in on something that Sailor Moon didn't know. She supposed that that much as true.

"I killed Mercury, who went on to capture Jupiter; Saturn gave herself over to the darkness willingly and killed her entire family; and as you already know, I killed Venus this morning," Mars explained. "Saturn was an unexpected development, but it still worked to my favor."

With each word, Sailor Moon felt her heart sink deeper and deeper into a pit of despair. There was no way Rei could have planned all of that out by herself. Whenever they were together, there was nothing unusual to suspect about her. Even when Eris declared she had gained full control of Rei, the fire Senshi denied it. "How could Rei have done all of that when she was completely normal around the rest of us?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"It was like flicking a light switch on and off," Eris explained. "I was able to harness the darkness inside of her and use it for my own gain, but there was still a part of her that just wouldn't let go of you." Eris paused as she beckoned Mamoru to stand by her side. The man never took his eyes of Sailor Moon, even as Eris draped herself on him like a cape.

"You see, it was this man who was the catalyst. The task of taking over his body and having him betray you wasn't dreadfully hard. You tried to forgive him when he toyed with your heart, but it really hurt Rei's feelings." Eris laughed at the thought. "So she killed him in the end, opening pathways to the darkest parts of her heart."

Eris released him and ran her hand down his face. Suddenly, his likeness turned into that of Moonlight Knight's. Sailor Moon bit her tongue in order not to gasp, but her expression gave away the surprise she felt. The girls behind Eris continued to laugh at her, and it drove her crazy.

"You see that?" Eris exclaimed. "He's just a mud puppet. After Rei did away with him, I just redesigned Moonlight Knight to look like your precious Mamoru. I'm sure he could have dealt with you sooner if you hadn't fallen out of love with him."

Eris snapped her fingers, and Mamoru melted into the mud he had been made from. She turned to the Senshi and pointed at Mercury, Neptune, and Pluto. "You three are up first," the evil woman said. "Have fun."

The four Senshi charged at Sailor Moon immediately, forcing her to summon her Eternal Tiare. This was it – the beginning of the end.

-End Chapter Fourteen-

_Will Sailor Moon be able to muster up the strength to defeat her friends? Stay tuned for more. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	18. Chapter 15

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or part of the title._

Chapter Fifteen

Although this wasn't the first time her friends had fought for the opposing team, fighting them still didn't sit well with Sailor Moon. The difference this time was the fact that she was more than ready to kill them. As far as she was concerned, her friends had died and evil souls now inhabited their bodies. Destroying these fakes would have been easy if they weren't trying to attack her at once.

Mercury, Neptune, and Pluto combined their attacks together, which proved to be a devastating move when Sailor Moon first tried to block it. After that, the soldier of light realized that dodging the attack altogether would be a better idea. The blow had weakened her significantly, setting her off to a bad start. She still had Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, and Saturn to fight, but she wouldn't be able to triumph if she couldn't come up with a plan.

The three evil Senshi combined their attacks together yet again, but Sailor Moon simply leapt in the air to dodge it. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" she yelled. The blast of love narrowly hit Neptune as all three warriors jumped away. Sailor Moon didn't let them rest and unleashed a barrage of attacks to keep them on their toes. When it became obvious that she was growing fatigued, the traitors split up and circled her.

Sailor Moon couldn't keep them all in her sights, so she prepared for a back attack. She set her sights on Pluto, who was uncharacteristically charging towards her while Neptune simply lied in wait. At the same time, Mercury came from behind and put her in a chokehold. She tried to wiggle her way out, but Mercury only squeezed tighter. When Pluto finally arrived, she began beating the defenseless Senshi.

The other Senshi who watched jeered at Sailor Moon, calling her names that they would never say under normal circumstances. It only fueled her desire to defeat them. As soon as Pluto wound her fist back for a punch, Sailor Moon shifted her weight to get Mercury off balance and flipped her over. Mercury knocked into Pluto and both Senshi were on the ground. While they were disoriented, she raised her Tiare and fired at them point blank.

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

At that range, Mercury and Pluto disintegrated, leaving Neptune to be taken care of. Neptune was not fazed in the slightest and was even joined by Uranus. Together, they sped towards Sailor Moon with the intention of beating her to a pulp with their bare hands. The lone warrior tried to put some distance her and her adversaries, but they closed the gap quicker than she had expected. Uranus jumped up to and prepared herself for a swift dropkick.

Sailor Moon took this opportunity to attack. She shot a Therapy Kiss blast at Uranus just before Neptune kicked her Tiare out of her hand. The Wind Senshi promptly fell to the grounds, severely weakened but not dead. Sailor Moon eyed her Tiare as Neptune tried to incapacitate her. The only way she could get to the rod was by distracting the other guardian.

There was a brief respite in the middle of Neptune's attacks, allowing Sailor Moon to strike. She punched Neptune in the gut and made a run for it while the older Senshi tried to catch her breath. As she grabbed the rod from the ground, she realized that her normal Therapy Kiss attack wouldn't instantly kill her assailants from a distance. Mercury and Pluto only went down so easily because she had been so close. If she was going to prevail, she would have to pull out the big guns.

"Come on, Neptune," Jupiter whined from the sidelines. She cracked her knuckles as she stepped up forth, ignoring Uranus's body. "You're taking way too long. I thought the Outer Senshi were supposed to be better than the rest of us."

Neptune kept a retort back and focused completely on Sailor Moon. "Attack with me, Jupiter," she said. "Deep Submerge!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The two attacks combined into an electrifying blast. Sailor Moon evaded it, knowing that the battle would be over if it so much as grazed her skin. From this distance, she tried to stay on the offensive.

"Deep Submerge!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Silver Moon Crystal Power Therapy Kiss!"

The two attacks collided, but Sailor Moon's proved to be the stronger one. Neptune and Uranus, who wasn't able to move from her spot on the ground, were caught in the blast. Jupiter managed to avoid it by jumping closer to Venus, Saturn, and Mars's side, but Sailor Moon didn't let her recover. She let out another attack, aiming for all four Senshi. Both Jupiter and Venus were taken off guard and couldn't get away in time. Saturn tried to set up a shield to protect her and Mars. Sailor Moon kept pushing, hoping she could break through Saturn's impenetrable barrier. A crack rang out, and Sailor Moon knew that she had done it. The blast ripped through Saturn and Mars, but Mars was the only won who survived.

The attack proved too much for the Senshi of War to handle. Her sailor suit faded away and left a weakened Rei in her place. Everything was still as she swayed side to side. That attack had taken a toll on Sailor Moon, and she hoped that would be the last time she had to attack her friend. It didn't show, but the attack had taken a lot out of her as well. Rei soon gained her bearings and noticed Sailor Moon. She grinned from ear to ear, and Sailor Moon could see that her work here was almost done. That smile couldn't have been fake. It was much too genuine to be insincere. Rei loved her too much to lie to her at a time like this.

"Usagi, I'm sorry," she said as she walked closer. "Were you scared?" Sailor Moon held her breath as Rei drew near. The older girl pulled the lone Senshi into an embrace, causing tears to fall down the blonde's face.

"I was the only one left," she said. Soon, words began to fail her. They came out in a garbled mess, but she didn't care how she sounded. "I was so alone… then I saw everyone again… but now this!"

Rei stroked Sailor Moon's unraveling hair and tried to quiet her down. "Don't worry, Usagi. I've told you before that I would always protect you. I intend to keep that vow," she whispered. Sailor Moon nodded as she cried into Rei's chest. She wanted to get all her nerves and sadness out of her system so she could face Eris once and for all.

A figure appeared off in the distance behind Sailor Moon, and Rei could barely see who it was. She knew it was Eris because the others were gone; there was no one left in this void but the three of them. A dagger appeared in midair, apparently from Eris, who seemed to be smirking. Rei took the hint and grabbed it. Wasting no time at all, she went in for the kill and stabbed Sailor Moon in the back. She retracted the metal piece and thrust it inside the warrior again for good measure. The look on Sailor Moon's face was priceless. She was so confused and shocked that she probably didn't even feel the pain.

Throwing the dagger away, Rei lowered Sailor Moon to the ground. "You always make the mistake of letting your guard down, Usagi," Rei sneered. "You're too trusting. Now you'll pay for it." The raven-haired girl straddled her and gripped Sailor Moon's neck with all of her might. She smirked wickedly at the thought of killing the moon princess for her mistress. She was finally fulfilling her purpose.

Sailor Moon gently held on to Rei's arm as to hold on to her life. If she was going to be honest with herself, this was the part that she absolutely hated. Killing her friends seemed like a breeze, but now she had to come to terms that she couldn't save the Earth like she was supposed to. Worst yet, she was going to die. Death was so dark and lonely. She usually likened it to sleeping, except waking up was always guaranteed with the latter. It was the one thing that she hated most about mortality.

"Please, Rei. Stop this," she mouthed. She couldn't speak now that Rei had effectively cut off her circulation. It didn't help that she was bleeding out either. Rei didn't respond to her plea and kept applying pressure. In a last ditch effort, she left a prayer in her heart and hoped that a miracle would happen.

"I'm so sorry, Rei," Sailor Moon wanted to say. "I couldn't save you this time. Forgive me." She closed her eyes and stopped struggling against the darkness that wanted to take her away.

* * *

Something was different. Somewhere, in this strange, brightly lit void, Usagi's friends were here. She couldn't see them, but she knew they were watching her. They weren't in any heaven or hell (and neither was she for that matter), like she would have wished for them to be if heaven existed. Instead, they were surrounding her, smiling and pouring their love out on her. She had never felt this kind of peace in death.

The last time she had actually died was when she fought Queen Beryl and Metalia. Death hadn't been instantaneous, even with the Silver Crystal shattering after Beryl's defeat. In the one minute she had left, she prayed for revival. Not just for her friends or for the world, but for herself. It was pretty selfish looking back on it. When her time came, there was only darkness left. Usagi hated being lonely – feared it even – yet she found herself alone in the largest void humanity could offer.

Yet things were different now.

There was light everywhere, and she wasn't alone here. She imagined the pure joy her friends' faces and let happy tears fall down her rosy cheeks. She nodded vigorously as if they were speaking to her and filling her with hope. Even though this place was silent, she heard their voices ringing in her ears loud and clear. Happiness filled her stomach, and the prayer she had whispered in her heart as Rei strangled her found its way out of her.

"I won't let this end here. I owe it you – my family – and to this world to defeat this evil. We know what the future holds; we've seen it with our very eyes! I'm going to make it happen with my own two hands. We haven't lost yet. Please, everyone, lend me your strength one last time. Together, we'll make things right!"

Light exploded from her body once the words left her mouth. Laughter filled the air as Usagi felt her body come back to life. The strength she had as Sailor Moon returned to her. That was when she knew, without a doubt, she could triumph over this evil.

* * *

"Good job," Eris grinned as she pecked Rei's cheek. Rei said nothing in response as she stared at Sailor Moon's body. Somewhere in her cold heart, the goodness that Eris had conquered wept for the dead Senshi. While she personally had no remorse over what she done, the good part of her regretted every action. It was annoying to say the least, but surely Eris could rectify that.

Slight movement in her hazy sight interrupted her thoughts and suddenly brought a sense of hope inside of her. Her eyes focused on Sailor Moon, who was slowly rising from the ground. She was still weak from her injuries, but she stood tall as if she was ready to take on the world.

"You've got to be kidding me," Eris groaned. "How can a simple human like you come back from the dead? That's not possible!"

"When you've got friends like mine, anything is possible," Sailor Moon said. "Give up, Eris. You can't win."

Eris pointed at the blonde and screamed, "Rei, kill her now!"

Without hesitation, Rei charged at the newly revived Sailor Moon. She pushed her human limits and attacked the warrior with everything she had left. Sailor Moon didn't have a chance to rest and was forced to defend herself yet again. She desperately looked for some form of humanity inside of Rei, but she couldn't find anything.

"Rei, please stop this!" she pleaded as blocked a punch. "I'm you're friend! Don't you remember?"

Rei shoved Sailor Moon down to the ground and readied her fist to finish the blonde once and for all. Sailor Moon rolled out of the way just in time to dodge her assailant. "I've never had any friends," Rei said. "I don't know why you hung around me so much. It just got annoying after a while." She attempted to stomp on the vulnerable girl, but she dodged the attack again. Sailor Moon stood to her feet with a new determination in her eyes. It was a look Rei had never seen.

"You aren't her."

"Come again?"

"You aren't my Rei; you're the enemy," Sailor Moon said with more confidence. "My mission is to eliminate all threats to the Earth, including you."

Rei smirked, "Just try it, princess."

Sailor Moon summoned her Eternal Tiare and aimed for the former Martian warrior. There was a weird tingling sensation coming from Usagi's heart, and it spread to the rest of her body as she charged up for the final attack on Rei.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power…"

"…Thank you, Usagi…"

Usagi barely heard what Rei said, but she caught it just in time. For the first time since she had arrived in this terrible place, she finally saw the real Rei. She smiled, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time she would see her dearest friend.

"Therapy Kiss!"

This time, the blast was powerful enough to destroy the Martian. No trace of her was left, which was probably for the best. Eris had no one to control now.

"Now what Eris?" Sailor Moon panted. She wished she could hide her fatigue. Going up against her friends with most of the energy she had in her was draining, and now she regretted using her more powerful attacks.

"Shut up," Eris spat. "I could snap your neck like a twig right now."

"So why don't you? You've been controlling other people to do your bidding this entire time, never getting your hands dirty. What kind of pawn of Chaos are you?"

Eris laughed. "_Pawn_? No, foolish girl, I _am_ Chaos. After you defeated Galaxia, you knew that Chaos would never go away. Like you said, chaos lies in the heart of people, does it not?"

Eris disappeared from Usagi's line of sight. The blackness around her thickened to the point where she could barely see her hands in front of her face. "How do you think I learned knew your identities to begin with? First, it started with me being a product of the darkness within Rei's heart. Then it spread to the rest of your friends, who began distrusting one another. You all fell apart, and it's all because of me."

Sailor Moon thought about taking a defensive stance, but she realized that it would do her no good. Eris could come from any side and strike her down. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to summon the power of the Silver Crystal. She was reaching her limit, but she ignored it in order to brighten the area. The Silver Crystal illuminated the void, revealing Eris's position right next to her and ready to attack. She jumped back and readied the Tiare.

"You monster," she said. "This is the end for you!"

The Silver Crystal's shine did not fade out, much to Eris's chagrin. There was no place she could hide under these circumstances. Even thought this was her domain, she no longer had control. Sailor Moon was the purest being in existence, which meant that there was no darkness inside of her that Eris could take advantage of. With Rei, it had been so easy; there was so much internal turmoil that she could manipulate. Now she had nothing.

Sailor Moon finally won.

"Silver Moon Crystal Eternal Power!"

_A blinding light enveloped Eris until she was no more. The Silver Crystal's glow soon dimmed until the void was completely black. Sailor Moon fell to her knees and allowed herself to breathe. She was tired from exerting so much energy. If she used the Silver Crystal again, she would surely perish. With the intention of returning to Earth with all of her loved ones, she prayed to the crystal one last time before losing consciousness._

_-End Chapter Fifteen-_

_The battle is finally over, but what does destiny have in mind for the rest of the world? Stay tuned._

_Serenity101_


	19. Epilogue

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge

_Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has arrived and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon._

Epilogue

Rays of light shined through the large window of the Fruits Parlor and effectively blinded Mamoru's right peripheral vision. He wanted nothing more than to gaze upon the beauty of the outside world. It had been so long since he had seen it with his own eyes while he was in his right mind. The sunshine forced him to stare at Usagi instead, which he didn't mind. In fact, it was a pleasure and an honor to set his eyes upon her. This meeting was different than usual, however. He watched as her lips moved and told a story of emptiness and sadness. Her eyes stared at the soda she still hadn't tasted.

It was obvious that the story troubled her deeply, more so than it troubled him. In his absence, he wasn't able to protect her. He blamed himself for not being there for her when she needed him the most. Starting with Galaxia, he had been taken out of the battle without a fighting chance and left Usagi to face the enemy alone. If there was one thing he knew about her, it was that she hated being by herself.

Halfway through the story, Mamoru slipped his hand into Usagi's and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was the only security he could offer as Usagi relived her encounters with Eris. The action did not stop her train of thought, but she stared at his hand with surprise or maybe even confusion.

Her story ended with the Silver Crystal granting her wish for another worldwide revival. Now they were together again, and Crystal Tokyo would eventually be within reach. The happy ending didn't seem very happy to Mamoru once Usagi looked him in the eyes for the first time. She tried to smile at him, but the mask was too sloppy for him to ignore. He waited for her to tell him what was wrong, but the explanation never came. He would have to coax the information out of her.

"Usako, I know there's something else that you're not tell me," he said. "I can take it, trust me. Spit it out."

Usagi frowned and dropped her gaze to her soda again. She forced her hand out of Mamoru's grasp and returned them to her lap, where they were safe from his reach. "It's kind of hard for me to say," she said. "It involves you and me but not in a good way."

"What do you mean?"

Usagi sighed before relenting. She told him of all the vile, disgusting things he had done while Eris had him under her control. Tears stung his eyes at the very thought of violating the love of his life the way he had. He wanted to go back in time and prevent any of those things from happening, but he knew Setsuna wouldn't let him go through with the idea.

"I… I'm so sorry," he managed. His voice trembled, which alerted Usagi immediately.

"It's not your fault," she said. "You weren't yourself. I know you wouldn't have done any of those things if Eris hadn't appeared."

Usagi rubbed his hand and tried her best to comfort him. While Mamoru tried to pull himself together, she looked out the window and saw her friends crossing the street. She quickly checked her watch and realized that they had arrived ten minutes earlier than they were supposed to. She watched them enter the Crown Arcade before turning to Mamoru, who seemed to feel better. It was a shame she had to crush whatever was left of his spirit.

"There's something else that I have to tell you."

"Did I do something else?"

"No. It's more about me."

Usagi paused just to think about a certain raven-haired shrine maiden. That was the only thought that could bring her through this moment.

"Because of everything that's happened, my feelings for you have…waned, for the lack of a better word." More like, for the sake of keeping his heart intact. "I still love the real you but not the same way I used to."

Usagi stopped to gauge the other man's reaction. As expected, he was surprised at the news. He drew his hand away from Usagi to hide them under the table. Mamoru turned his face to the sun and remained silent. His shock slowly turned into reluctant acceptance, but he knew he would break down all over again if he looked at her. Neither of them said anything for a full five minutes.

"Then what happens to Crystal Tokyo?" he asked slowly, not caring if his voice cracked. He still couldn't look at her. He thought about a little pink-haired girl, whose feisty and tenacious nature almost hid her gentleness and kindness. More tears came to his eyes and threatened to slip down his face. "What about Chibi-Usa?"

Usagi had been dreading that final question. The last thing she needed was some sort of guilt trip. "Crystal Tokyo is our future, no matter what happens between us," she answered. "You are the protector of this planet; you were destined become its king."

"So what you're saying is that we'll both rule the world together, but you won't love me?"

"I don't know what's going to happen now that things are different," Usagi said. "I guess we'll see what happens when we get there."

The two fell silent again. Nothing seemed clear to Mamoru anymore now that he didn't know what his future held for him. The sudden change in Usagi's heart shattered his whole perception of Crystal Tokyo. Knowing his future – ruling the world with his wife and daughter – was the only thing that had kept him going. Now that things were different, he didn't know what to do with himself.

Usagi checked her watched and noticed that it was almost time to go. If she stayed here with Mamoru any longer, she would be late for her date with her friends. "I'm sorry," she said as she stood up from the booth. She left Mamoru and her untouched soda behind and made her way down to the Crown Arcade.

The sounds of video games and excited yelps fill the air. The change in atmosphere urged her to forget the sad, guilty feelings in the pit of her stomach. She saw her friends gathered around the F1 racing game, where Minako and Makoto were going head-to-head. The race was apparently almost over since Usagi could hear Minako's victory laugh.

Rei was the first one to notice Usagi and greeted her with a smile. When Ami followed the older girl's gaze, she jumped toward Usagi and embraced her harder than she ever had before. This was the first time they had seen each other since Eris's defeat, and it showed. Ami allowed herself to cry as the two held each other tightly. Feeling Usagi's warmth and seeing her face again made Ami happier than words could express. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Usagi when she was normal. She felt bad for the things she had done but didn't dwell on it because she knew that Usagi had already forgiven her.

"Hey, don't hog her, Ami-chan! We want a turn too," Minako teased from behind. Both she and Makoto were standing right behind the blue-haired girl, waiting for their chance to greet their leader. Rei simply stood back and watched Makoto and Minako squeeze the life out of Usagi in a vicious group hug. She didn't want to fight for the blonde's attention. Instead, she would let Usagi come to her.

When Usagi was finally released and given a chance to breathe, Makoto and Minako decided to go another round at the F1 racing game. They barely had time to spare since they had a destination to get to, but Ami and Rei let the two have their fun. What could it hurt?

Usagi made her way over to Rei's side, quietly guiding her away from their friends. They found a spot towards the back of the arcade that no one visited anymore. It was filled with old dust-covered cabinets that offered retro games old-school gamers would appreciate – Pac-man, Galaga, Space Invaders, and even Pong. Usagi leaned on one of the cabinets while Rei stood only a few feet away. She half-expected Rei to kiss her right then and there but knew it wouldn't have been very appropriate.

"It's been a while," Rei smiled.

"Has it?" Usagi asked. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "It seems like only yesterday I defeated the world's next biggest threat."

Rei's laughter brought a slight smile to Usagi's face. Mamoru was still in the back of her mind, so she couldn't manage a bigger smile. On a more positive note, she loved making Rei laugh. That was something she could get used to.

"Thank you, Usagi. You always manage to save us even when we turn our backs on you."

"It's not like you did it on purpose. Don't beat yourself about it."

Rei leaned forward and kissed the blonde's forehead in response. Usagi felt the butterflies in her stomach. She remembered that feeling – being in the first stages of a relationship. She used to get butterflies around Mamoru all the time until she grew comfortable with him. She didn't mind losing the nervousness, as it was simply a sign of progression in their relationship. She couldn't say she hadn't missed it though.

"Before you guys got here," Usagi sighed, "I talked to Mamoru about… you know."

"How'd it go?"

"He didn't take it very well."

"Not surprised."

"Yeah."

Rei took Usagi's hands and kissed them, making the blonde blush. "Try not to think about it too much, okay? He'll heal with time."

Usagi nodded and tried to smile with optimism. She felt drained from hurting Mamoru like that, so a shaky smile was the best she could do for the day. Rei understood how she felt, so she didn't press the issue any further.

As the two returned to their friends, Ami noticed that they were holding hands and giggled. "The others are going to make such a big deal out of that," she said as she pointed to their interlocked fingers.

Usagi's cheeks achieved a darker shade of red and hid behind Rei to conceal it. The teasing didn't bother Rei at all. "Speaking of which, we should go now if we're going to meet up them on time," she grinned. "You know how Setsuna-san is about people being late."

"Let me finish beating Mako-chan," Minako said from behind the wheel. "I'm sure Haruka-san will slow the Outers down for a few minutes."

Usagi watched her friends have fun as if evil had never descended upon them in the first place. She couldn't wait to see Haruka and the others again (especially Hotaru so that she could give her a huge lecture for her recklessness). All she wanted to do was bask in their presence once more. Her only desire today was to let the love of her friends consume her like a wildfire. After everything that she had been through, she was ready to enjoy a new era of peace with her family.

"Usagi?"

The blonde's eyes darted to Rei when she heard her name being called.

"Do you want to get a head start to the movie theater?" Rei asked.

Usagi smiled and nodded. Any alone time she could get with Rei was welcome. The two left the arcade and walked down the street to their destination. The silence between them was interrupted with Rei kissing Usagi's temple without explanation.

"What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason for kissing you?"

Rei grinned at Usagi's embarrassment and put an arm over her shoulder. "I won't do it again if that's what you want."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Usagi huffed with a pout.

Rei continued to tease her love until they arrived at the theater. Now that Eris was gone, everything was just falling into place. Although Crystal Tokyo would be slightly altered, she had a feeling the grandeur of the future wouldn't change at all. As she kissed Usagi's temple again, she hoped that she could be like this with her princess forever.

-The End-

_So excited to see the end of this story. To those of you that stuck with this to the end, thank you. I would have given up on this story if it weren't for you guys. I have a lot of new fics in the works, one of which is already complete and just has to go through a final revision. Thanks again, everyone! Til next story_

_Serenity101_


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